Queen's High
by PrettyGothGirl
Summary: Romy: Logan sends Rogue to recruit a certain Cajun, resulting in goose chases, fights, poker, basketball games and petty theft. in which Rogue sets to prove that one Mississippi Queen is always high. Epilogue: Rogue and Remy are missing. 25 of 25
1. Chapter 1

**Queen's High  
Chapter One: Social Rejection Prevention**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, not Origins compatible._  
**Summary:** In order to prevent Rogue from doing something socially unacceptable, Logan sends her away from the mansion (and her cheating boyfriend) to recruit one certain Cajun. This may or may not be a good idea.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! She keeps me going, really! This story is finished and I feel accomplished. As a note of interest, in all my X-Men stories, Kitty Pryde is played by Kiera Knightley. 'Kays. 'Kays. For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink.

News traveled fast in the mansion, gossip being the primary entertainment of most of the student and teaching body. And it was some sort of aphorism that bad news traveled faster than any good news. The news that Rogue was on her way to _kill_ Bobby Drake traveled faster than the lightning the secondary headmistress could summon at a whim. At least, news traveled fast to those that were awake during the wee morning hours. Since very few people were awake, few people knew that Rogue was marching her way through the mansion looking for her boyfriend. One of these, who was cranky to be awake at any time of day morning or not, was Logan, Rogue's mentor and some considered her father figure.

Logan loved Rogue. She was like that daughter he had always wanted and never had because for some reason he had the notion that he and women did not have a good relationship with each other. Meaning, he wasn't sure if he'd ever been with a woman long enough to marry her and actually have kids. Rogue could be sweet as the sugar endearment she dropped on the end of every sentence. He also knew that the tender and at times terrified sixteen year old he had rescued had grown up into a near twenty year old woman with a formidable temper. Some days, her temper made him want to pull his somewhat stiff and bristly hair right out due to her stubbornness. Ororo claimed that it was from him, as if temper attributes could be assimilated despite his lack of genetic ties to the kid. Hank begged to differ on that score given Rogue's mutational ability to copy powers down to the genetic level and how many times she'd absorbed Logan.

Logan sniffed the air and changed his direction. He didn't much care at the moment what his supposed relationship with the kid was, genetic or otherwise. He needed to intercept Rogue before she did something that people kept telling him was socially unacceptable despite all the problems it had solved for him in the past. He wasn't trying to save Drake's life. It might look that way, but he could care less what happened to that kid. Bobby had brought this down on himself and all Logan cared about was keeping Rogue from doing something that most people would consider stupid. Logan admired her for wanting to kill Bobby herself though. It took guts. He sniffed the air again.

Rage had a scent to it. The heat of the body releasing sweat and the scent of all the hormones running through the body and burning through the synapses so that all reason fizzled away to pure incandescent anger. The closer he got to Rogue, the stronger and thicker the scent became mixed with her own body scent and the various detergents and deodorants she used on her person. Logan increased his pace to a near run.

He rounded a corner and took the steps two at a time. Rogue strode down the upstairs hallway, hair flying. "Stripes." He said in a normal tone of voice, but a voice that no one ignored without reason.

Rogue whirled on the ball of her foot and set herself into a fighting stance. Bright red color flushed her cheeks and her eyes were wide and wild. "Logan." She could barely think. She could barely see past the red haze filled tunnel of her vision. Her fists curled into balls and she started to turn away back onto her mission of 'finding Bobby Drake and beat him into a bloody pulp.' "Don' stop me." She hissed and started to move forward.

"Got a job for you, kid."

Rogue faltered and closed her eyes. Behind them she could almost see Bobby, sweet, dependable, a bit possessive, controlling Bobby on the ice of the fountain kissing bubbly, Midwest girl next door, Kitty, his lips lingering over the exotic, aloof Lorna and his tongue jammed down the throat of that _bitch_ Emma Frost. Rogue's fist clenched. She took a step forward to go after Bobby again. "No thanks."

"Ain't a request."

Rogue whirled. "You tryin' to get rid of me too! So yah all can talk and commiserate behind mah back about what a fool Ah am and how bad it is that Bobby Drake has a girlfriend he can't touch!" She almost screamed at him. She inhaled raggedly. "So bad that he has to go and cheat on me again." She looked at the floor, rage and shame flooding her body. Wasn't she good enough for Bobby despite the inability to touch? He always said he liked her, whispered how much he loved her. Couldn't he just tell her he didn't want to be her boyfriend no more? Rage won out over the shame. How dare he cheat on her o'er and o'er again!

"Nope. Just a job." Logan crossed his arms.

"Sucky timin'." Rogue swallowed against the lump in her throat.

"Your motorcycle is out waiting out front. Go pack somethin' for a day or three."

In the end, duty won out over rage. She didn't care that this was most likely a distraction. It was Logan who had a job for her. Logan trusted her. Rogue nodded sharply, turned away from her personal mission and walked past him, this time headed for her room. She brushed past him, quiet despite her rage. Her body stiff and movements devoid of the liquid sexual grace she usually filled them with. Logan's training stuck, keeping her movements as silent as possible. Logan watched her and then covertly followed her.

He didn't dare take any chances that she change her route and actually go and kill Drake. No matter how much the damn fool deserved it. Logan's smiled. There was some pain in the future for certain portions of the X-Men.

Rogue dropped her bag at her feet. She glared at him and crossed her arms. He nodded at her riding leathers and held out a packet of papers. She reached out and grabbed them.

"It's a simple recruitment job. You shouldn't have any trouble."

Rogue leafed through them. "There's no personal profile here."

"This guy avoids that sort of thing." Logan smirked. "His name is Remy Lebeau."

Rogue muttered something about 'the beautiful one from Rheims' under her breath and glanced up at him over the papers. "What's he look like?"

"He goes by Le Diable Blanc. You'll know him when you see him." Logan shrugged.

Rogue sighed and rolled her eyes. "That's real useful."

"It ain't like we got a picture." Logan nodded at the papers. "There's the address of a place to stay in there. I called ahead so they're expectin' you. You got a list of contacts and places he likes to go. If he's in town, you'll be able to find him. Keys for the apartment are in the envelope. Go get 'em, tiger."

Rogue gritted her teeth and shut the packet. She picked her bag up. "How willin' is he supposed to be?"

"Don't force him." Logan said.

She stepped past him and put her hand on the door. "Fine, no forcin'."

"Marie." He said in a quiet voice, most of the mansion still didn't know her real name and he knew she wanted to keep it that way.

She turned and he waited. She sighed and came over to hug him. "Sorry, Logan. Ah know yah ain't tryin' to get rid of me, but it sure does feel like it." She muttered.

He hugged her back. "Just take care of yourself."

"And don' hurt Bobby. That's my job." She looked up and glared at him.

He grinned. "I won't. No promises on Danger Room sessions though."

Rogue nodded sharply and stepped away. She walked out of the door and a few minutes later, her motorcycle roared out of the drive and towards New Orleans in search of Remy Lebeau.

* * *

_That Day Around Noon_

Jubilee pulled out a chair at the teacher's table and sat down. She glanced around. "Has anyone seen Rogue?"

Kitty shrugged. "Not since this morning. She stormed out of her room looking like, hella pissed."

Bobby shifted in his seat, but didn't say anything.

Emma twirled some pasta around her fork and smirked at Jubilee. "She's probably in the Danger Room or getting dirty in the garage." Emma said and sniffed.

Alex shook his head and reached for the salt. "I heard that Logan sent her on a job."

"Yeah." Lorna nodded. "Her motorcycle went out this morning. I'm surprised none of you heard it. She wasn't trying to be quiet about it."

Jubilee grimaced and picked at her salad. "Anyone know what _that_ is all about, I mean, Logan, Prof. and Storm were closeted all day yesterday. And now Rogue is pissed?"

"Anyone else seeing a connection." Kitty tossed her hair.

Piotr reached over and patted her hand. "It is best not to jump to conclusions, Katya."

Jubilee and Kitty glanced at each other. "Oh well, I _also_ heard something about Emma." Jubilee said and raised her eyebrow at the other girl.

Emma paused and shrugged. "I haven't a clue what you are talking about."

"Of course not." Kitty rolled her eyes.

Bobby's phone buzzed.

* * *

Rogue wadded up the wrapper from her sub and turned so she was straddling the bench of the picnic table stretching her legs out. She'd managed to travel several hundred miles since leaving that morning, snatching a quick breakfast while still on the road which was a real trick when driving a motorcycle, thank goodness for heavy start and stop traffic. She'd made up for lost time once she got out of the mess that was New York City by driving insanely over the speed limit.

She'd bought the sub at some point when she stopped for gas and when she couldn't ignore her stomach anymore, she'd pulled over onto a rest stop on I-81 South with a bunch of trees, a good stretch of green grass and picnic tables.

The rage hadn't diminished. It made her hands tremble and her muscles tense. The thoughts in her head formed a self-destructive circling pattern all during her drive as she could barely focus on anything else. Bobby Drake had cheated on her. He'd cheated again. Three times he'd broken his promise to be her steady. Three times! There was no excuse. There couldn't be one that justified it. She could barely believe it and had to because he'd done it before. What was wrong with her? Was her mutation that difficult to deal with? Was just being with her not enough or was touch really that important to him despite his protests to the contrary? Was that really it? Her hands trembled.

She wasn't going to take the blame for this. He was at fault. He _lied._ He said she was enough. He didn't need anyone else and every time she turned around he was flirting and getting to first base with other girls. She'd confronted him, _twice._ He'd promised he'd never do it again and then… cheating, lying son of a bitch. Maybe he didn't want her. Maybe he just wanted the attention she gave him and the sympathy he got from being the boyfriend of the untouchable one (and that was one of the nice names). She narrowed her eyes. Well, no more. She wasn't anyone's bitch.

She pulled out her phone and stared at it. They'd all be eating lunch, sitting together, talking, laughing, exchanging gossip. Tears sprang to her eyes, probably about her. She shook her head and growled. Well, she wouldn't care.

She was done. She was through with sweet little lying boys like Bobby.

Her thumb hit the keypad and she typed a message to him and hit send. Her lips turned up into a small smile. Take that jerk.

She was strong. She was Rogue and she didn't need him. She didn't need any of them.

She gathered her trash and stood. She strutted to her bike, tossing out the trash just like she'd just tossed her boy and tucked her phone back into her pocket. It was time to blow this little rest area and get south of the Mason-Dixon.

She had a job to do. She grinned, straddled her bike and kicked the engine open with a roar.

* * *

Bobby jumped and pulled out his phone. The conversation stopped as they all stared at him. He stared at it. "Uh, it's Rogue."

"Oh my god." Kitty leaned forward. "Answer it."

He flicked a glance at Emma. "It's just a text."

"Well, go on, read it. Read it." Kitty urged.

He opened the phone, accepted the message and paled. He read it once and then scrolled up to read it over again.

_I'm through with you. Drop dead. Your ex. R._

His stomach clenched into a knot. Rogue had broken up with him through text message. Blood rushed to his face and he could barely feel his hands.

Kitty sighed and grabbed the phone from him. Her eyes widened as she read the message and she stared at him. "Holy shit." She whispered.

Jubilee stole it and read it over. "What the hell did you do?" She asked as her jaw dropped.

"I don't know. Okay." Bobby snapped, his face still read. He knew all too well. He just didn't know how Rogue had _known._

"She just broke up with you by text message which is the lowest of the low way to break up with someone and you don't know what you did?" Kitty almost screamed. "My God Bobby, like, how much of an idiot are you!" She shoved at the table and lunged towards him.

Piotr grabbed her. "Kitty, Kitty, calm down!"

Lorna tossed her hair and narrowed her eyes. "Well, it's about time."

Emma smiled and nodded. "Such a waste." She looked at Bobby from under her eyelashes. She wasn't stupid enough to put a hand on his arm, even in mock sympathy. Bobby, the hottest guy at Xavier's was just plain wasted on the ever-untouchable Rogue. Sure, Rogue may be pretty, but there was no point to her looks. Emma kept her smile the same. Men needed touch. Bobby needed to touch and it was just too bad that Rogue couldn't give it to him and girls like, say Emma, could.

Lorna smirked. "Rogue's too good for you." She said. Lorna knew exactly what had happened. She glanced at Emma and the smirk turned into a sneer.

Emma sneered back. She didn't care what Lorna Dane thought of her.

Kitty ignored them both. "Whatever you did Bobby, you better apologize and never do it again."

"If you're lucky, maybe she'll take you back." Jubilee said. She tossed his phone back to him.

"Yeah. Yeah." Bobby nodded.

Lorna dropped her fork onto her plate and eyed them all. She highly doubted that Rogue was going to take Bobby back ever. Bobby was _lucky_ that Logan had sent Rogue on a mission. Her lips curled into a sneer of disgust. Or maybe it was unlucky.

* * *

_Next time: Rogue finds the Le Diable Blanc and figures out pretty quickly that things aren't going to be as easy as Logan makes them out to be..._

_reviews are love, love me?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Queen's High  
Chapter Two: Le Diable Blanc (_The White Devil_)**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, not Origins compatible._  
**Summary:** On Rogue's mission from Logan to recruit a certain Cajun, she finds said Cajun and determines that it isn't going to be as easy as Logan made it to be. So she must come up with a plan to tempt the devil, before he tempts her. Not an easy task.  
**Author's Note:** I feel so welcomed! Thank you so much for all your reviews. A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! Who finds all my silly mistakes! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. This story was inspired by the song and video to Pink's "There You Go." She's awesome for angry music.

_Two Days Later_

Rogue swung off her bike and eyed the opening of a random, or seemingly random New Orleans' alleyway. It wasn't on her list of 'Logan approved' places to look for Remy, but she'd checked most of those places and had been told at the last when she'd casually mentioned the Le Diable Blanc that he liked to play basketball here this time of day when he was in town with his friends. She started towards the alley and stopped next to an old guy who to the passing eye sat there to beg for pedestrian's change. To Rogue's more experienced eye, he looked like what he was, a lookout.

"Is Remy Lebeau around?" She asked him.

The man looked a little startled and nodded before he could stop himself. "Back dare." He added, gesturing down the alley. "Ain't no place for pretty gals lahke yah."

Rogue smiled at him and dropped a decent sized denomination bill into his cap. "Thanks Sugar." She said and walked down the alley unzipping her leather coat, the hem brushing the back of her calves. It was way too hot for leather in the city. Sweat clung to her skin and caused her shirt to stick to her back. She swung her hips and approached a chain link fence that divided off the end of the alley. A group of girls and younger boys watched another group of older guys behind the links. Rogue didn't blame them. It was something to watch.

The group of young men, definitely men, wove around each other passing the orange ball back and forth between bounces. Shirtless, sweat beaded on their skin even in the limited shade the alley provided. Rogue let her eyes roam over their bodies. She bit the inside of her lip. They were built every single one, skin tones ranging from pale white, medium olive to dark brown. They grinned and hollered at each other. Rogue watched their muscles ripple mesmerized.

It wasn't that the mansion didn't have its share of eye candy. It did. Bobby for one was considered particularly handsome and well built. Logan caught eyes whenever he went shirtless and sometimes without. There were benefits to an added one hundred pounds of metal being bonded to ones skeleton. Piotr also got his fair share of looks as did Warren who went around shirtless as a matter of course due to his wings.

Rogue hooked her fingers into the fence and smirked. Maybe Logan had something on these guys, but the rest didn't compare. Some of these men must spend a fair amount of their time at the gym to be so muscled, six packs everywhere. She mentally sighed. Not that she could ever appreciate them more than looking. She wrenched her mind back to business, ignoring the few curious glances she was getting from the younger kids.

She had one clue to how Remy looked, the white devil. The title itself ruled out all the black men on the court. She watched faces trying to find something that would dignify being called a devil. For a fleeting second, she met one of their eyes and sucked in a quick breath. His eyes were bright red on black; devil eyes.

She'd found him. Thank God.

Rogue singled him out again and started to watch him, trying not to get distracted by his face; those intense beautiful eyes, chiseled cheekbones, high forehead and kissable lips, or his long shoulder length brown hair that begged to be untangled with her fingers as he tossed it around his head as he moved or his body of smooth olive skin over muscles that melted into each other and were more defined around his abdominal area. It was difficult. He was handsome. But she watched him the way Logan had taught her to watch people, the way Erik counseled her to watch them in her mind.

Remy moved like he owned the world. Not a single movement was wasted or over the top. A silver chain hung around his neck, moving with him. He dodged the others easily when he had the ball and could make almost impossible shots to the single rusted bare hoop. He knew the guys he was playing with well. He didn't shy away from contact or from the general joking and trash talk. They were friends and some even appeared to be closer, as if they were family. He smiled a lot and laughed, every once in a while looking over to the crowd under his long eyelashes.

He had a good thing going here. Rogue untangled her fingers from the fence. This was going to be harder than she thought it would be, harder than Logan had made out.

As if her thoughts had conjured him, her phone rang and she reached for it. Her I.D. read _Badger_ and she rolled her eyes. She'd barely been searching in the city half a day. She flipped her phone open and put it to her ear, turning away from the game.

"Yeah?" She asked into the phone as she leaned against the fence.

"You find him, kid?"

"Ah did." Rogue smirked.

"You give him the message."

"Yah have got to be kiddin' me." Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Kid."

Rogue snorted. "Yah really think that this guy is the type to do somethin' just because a pretty girl asks him too." She said and looked over her shoulder finding Remy in the game again. Logan's silence was her answer, Logan did. Rogue wanted to roll her eyes again. "'Cause Ah don't." She looked back towards the street. "This may take a few days."

"A few days! Stripes-"

Rogue interrupted, she didn't want to hear it. "And yah tell Bobby that if he calls me again, he owes me his two front teeth."

"Emma's just jealous."

Rogue smirked and narrowed her eyes. "That bitch don' know the beginnin's of jealousy, Sugar." She drawled.

"I sent you down there to recruit him, not to hook up with him." Logan growled.

Rogue narrowed her eyes. So Logan did know what Remy looked like and he hadn't warned her. And who did she think she was anyways, Kitty? She didn't drop one man to just latch onto the next most convenient but sexy as hell one. "Don' be silly, why would Ah do a thin' like that. Ah gotta go get some lunch." She said. Logan could be so dense when it came to human relationships or even relationships in general.

"Rogue-" Logan growled again.

"Au revoir." She said and clicked the phone shut. She needed to come up with a strategy that would make Remy _want _to listen to what she had to say. First things first, she had to get his attention. Good thing he made that part easy with his little confident 'I'm hot shit ain't I,' looks. She put her phone away and turned on her heel and leaned against the post that made up the 'door' of the fence into the court and crossed her ankles. She waited until Remy glanced the crowd's way again and caught his eyes with a big smile and lowered lashes. He stopped moving and his brow furrowed. Her smile turned into a smirk and she raised her eyebrow. Gotcha. 'See ya later, sugar.' She mouthed at him, shoved away from the door and blew him a kiss. She spun on her heel and strutted out of the alley.

She mounted her bike, kicked up the stand and started it with a roar of a well-loved engine. She used her foot and spun it around and accelerated into traffic, speeding past the alley opening as she weaved through cars.

Let Remy think about that.

* * *

Remy stared at the last spot he'd seen the woman driving past on her motorcycle trying to figure things out. She was a belle femme. The problem was he'd never seen her before in his life. He'd remember her if he had with her distinctive two toned hair, sweet face, piercing green eyes and a curved body that made his mouth water. Remy racked his memory trying to place the woman and came up blank.

His brother, Henri dropped back to stand next to him. "Problems, mon frere?"

"Remy don' know, maybe Remy has a secret admirer?"

Henri guffawed. "Another woman, yah? Non."

Remy shrugged. "Like Remy said, Remy don' know. Don' matter, she's gone now."

"Too bad, oui?"

Remy turned his head to look at him. "Oui, she was belle, but Remy has never seen her before."

"Well, Ah swore, mon frere dat yah've been t'rough every femme in t'is ville."

Remy rolled his eyes and punched Henri in the shoulder. "Remy has not."

Henri laughed. "Come on. Forget de femme and let's play de game."

Remy grinned. "Some of us don' have it as easy as you, mon frere." His brother, the lucky coo-yon had a steady girlfriend.

"None of us have at easy as yah." Henri narrowed his eyes at him. "Complete strangers at yer beck and call."

Remy laughed and they headed back towards the game but he couldn't resist a glance back to the mouth of the alley and he wondered.

* * *

_That Evening_

Rogue crossed her legs and used the movement to covertly shift her angle on the barstool and thus her view of the rest of the bar room in the mirror. Remy sat behind her and off to the side so much that she could see him, but he couldn't see her. Not that he would pay attention or notice her if he did. She'd been careful before finding him to hide her distinctive white stripes and the sheer shirt lanced through with sparkling metallic threads and skirt were new items to her now somewhat expanded wardrobe. A woman with brown hair and different clothing than the leather that she'd worn earlier today wouldn't even catch his eye.

Though it seemed it would take a lot to get Remy's attention even if she had wanted it. Rogue picked up her drink and took a sip as Remy reached down and lifted his hand of cards on the table in front of him. He was entirely focused on his poker game. She set her drink down and looked at it, idly using her fingers to twist it in place by the top of the glass. Not that she knew how to get his attention either, coming up with a strategy was easier said than done. As she'd spent most of the day thinking about it while raiding stores for a long overdue wardrobe update and come up frustratingly blank on a viable strategy. The small piles of clothes at the different counters had lifted her mood enough from being too annoyed at the man. She simply didn't know enough about him to know what _would_ get his attention.

She glanced up into the mirror. So, here she was spying upon one Remy Lebeau. She paused in her glass turning. She could kill Logan. She felt a bit creepy, like she was a stalker or something. Though, she had to admit trying to find a way to get Remy's attention was a lot nicer than thinking about her own problems. Her lips twisted and she picked up her drink and downed it. She gestured to the bartender and he refilled it without even raising an eyebrow. "Thanks, sugar." She murmured and kept an eye on Remy.

He slouched in his chair and grinned at the rest of the table, his hat tugged low over his eyes. One of the other men threw down his cards in disgust and glared at him, his lips fighting a smile. They pushed money in Remy's direction. Rogue's lips twitched. Apparently, Remy was good at poker, good enough to frustrate the other players but they seemed to know him well enough not to be more amused than annoyed.

Rogue tilted her head. She could go over and join the game. She considered it for a moment.

No. She needed his undivided attention. The idea had merits but that was more for an endgame move than one of the opening moves. Tactics. She wanted to build up some mystery and mess with his mind. Sure, she probably, though she wouldn't know unless she played against him, probably could hold her own against him in a game of poker. But that wasn't why she was here. She needed him focused on her and what she represented. Thus, the direct approach was out.

It didn't seem to work anyways, especially if Remy was playing poker.

A woman approached him, clothes tailored to perfection, a hint of makeup, raven black hair piled artfully on top of her head. Remy's eyes flicked towards her and then back to his game. The woman leaned down, painted lips close to his ear and said something that Rogue was certain had to be seductive or at least propositioning. Rogue's gut twisted as he turned his head to look at the woman. He smiled at her and called her cherie. He lowered his lashes and said something else and the woman's lips formed an exaggerated pout. Another sentence or two and the woman retreated to her table and her friends. He turned right back to his poker game.

Rogue picked up her drink and took a swallow. It took a _lot_ to get his attention. That woman had held it longer than the previous five beauties of different skin tones, hair color and modes of dress. Rogue hadn't been able to discern any common thread between the women other than their interest in Remy. Either Remy had no particular preference in looks whatsoever or he had no taste. Given his expensive three-piece suit and jewelry, she was betting that as long as the woman was beautiful by whatever his definition of beauty was and she breathed. Remy would have sex with them, such _high_ standards. Rogue wasn't sure if she wanted to know if she met them or not.

Not that she was looking for sex. Not that she was looking for a _man._ Though a man would be an improvement over the little _boy_ she'd been dating. At least, she wasn't looking for this man, sexy or not, for that sort of relationship whatever. She had a _job_ to do, damn it.

Though unbuttoning that bright green shirt, she liked green, to reveal the tight muscles and mouthwateringly smooth skin sounded like a lot of fun.

Not that she'd be able to do much more than look at it.

Not that she wanted to look at it.

Really.

Even though he was hot.

Even though she wondered if, given his eyes, _if _him looking at her would turn her skin on fire.

Maybe she should stop drinking.

Though if he was relaxed enough not to pay attention to his surroundings or the women who approached him, she should use that to her advantage. His back was to the main room after all. It displayed a distinct sign of trust or that he felt he had no enemies worth the name that would bother him on his home turf. Either way, it gave her the superior position.

Rogue almost missed the approach of another blonde. She was the third that evening. The blonde crossed the room as if she owned it, her curls swaying with her walk. She didn't lean down at the table to talk to Remy, but stopped beside him and surveyed it with her hand on her hip. Rogue's brow furrowed as Remy actually looked up at the buxom blonde and engaged her in conversation. He shifted his weight towards her and didn't protest when she caressed his jaw line with a finger and he kissed the same finger as it pressed against his lips. The woman half smiled at him and it was affectionate. Remy reached up, took her hand and pressed another kiss to the palm.

An old flame, Rogue decided, not current. There wasn't enough sexual tension between them. He didn't kiss her lips or take in her generous figure at all. Though there was the sense that he knew all about it. They were comfortable with each other, body language, facial expressions.

Another blonde came up beside the first, her hair straighter and lighter. Her face was as beautiful but stronger than the other, something in the jaw line. She said something to the first and rounded the table to lean down and kiss the man a few seats down from Remy. The man's hands came up and pulled her as close as he could get, their mouths opening and the kiss becoming progressively more passionate. Rogue couldn't tear her eyes away. This was the passion that was missing between Remy and the first blonde.

Rogue felt something stab at her heart and she gripped her glass. To be able to experience that kind of passion, the back of her throat tightened. The two lovers separated and the man caressed the woman's face. Rogue's gut twisted as jealousy gouged at her with sharp talons, to be able to _touch._ Remy said something in a joking tone and the woman broke her gaze with her lover to roll her eyes at Remy. She turned her head into the man's hand then broke away, coming over to kiss Remy on the cheek. The other man laughed and said something else. The first blonde rolled her eyes as well and said something to the other blonde.

Rogue could see the similarities between Remy and the other man. Family, they had to be. Rogue's heart twisted a little more and she quickly took a swallow of her drink. Family. Camaraderie. Blood ties. To be part of that even a little bit.

She didn't have those. No family. No home. No ties. They were dead, gone, barely even a trace of them left or at least barely a trace when she'd left that town, just fire blackened stones resting among weeds to commemorate where she'd grown up, where she'd been loved by parents she barely remembered before being thrown into a succession of foster families, a string of adults that claimed to care but not enough to try to understand. Logan understood to a degree, which made him better than most of the adults she'd had in her life.

Logan was sort of like a dad, but he didn't really count. He didn't _want_ to be her father. Not that she'd ever asked. He gave her advice, taught her all sorts of useful shit. But when it came down to it, he wasn't always reliable. He had a tendency to leave and not return until the important shit went down. He pushed people away without even realizing it. Logan was a mentor, even a friend almost a best friend, but as a father. He sucked.

Friends. Hah. How many of those would she have when she went back? (Because, in reality, where else did she have to go?) Rogue set her drink down and stared at her hands. Would any of them stand by her or would they turn their backs? If she was honest and she hated being honest, she and Bobby had been falling apart for years. She should have set him free after he kissed Kitty. Would Kitty understand her breaking up with Bobby? Kitty always claimed that they were 'just so sweet' together. Rogue twisted her lips. Yeah, sweet enough that Kitty had kissed him. She had no idea how Jubilee or Lorna would react. Lorna had apologized though for kissing Bobby. She hadn't known about Rogue and him (Rogue would admit she and Bobby had been fighting at the time so weren't spending the amount of time they normally did together and Lorna had been new to the mansion) and was just using Bobby to get to Alex. That didn't excuse Bobby though. He had known he was still dating Rogue. Rogue was through making excuses for Bobby. Rogue had never been friendly with Emma, so she could care less what Emma thought.

Maybe she was worried about the wrong gender. Maybe she should worry about Pete (though he would most likely side with whatever Kitty said) or Alex or John or Forge or all of Bobby's little hanger on friends.

Would things have been different if she broke up with Bobby after the first infidelity? Her throat closed. Then, she would have been alone. How many guys, even the understanding somewhat starved for female attention mutant guys at Xavier's, were going to date a girl with deadly skin? The Professor had slowed the draining effect down, but it didn't make it any less deadly. She couldn't have sex, kiss, cuddle or even hold _hands._ Who was really going to want to stay with that in the long term? She knew well that men had needs and Bobby had taken care of his to a degree, just not with her. Their experiments in that direction inevitably failed and each time he refused to try the same thing again to see what had gone wrong.

Her lips twisted. Yeah, she used Bobby for company and the illusion of being normal and he used her to satisfy his need for attention.

And none of this was helping with her strategy to capture Remy's interest.

She looked back up at the mirror finding Remy again. The first blonde had left and the second sat on her lover's lap, head resting at the crook of his neck and arms about his shoulders. Rogue looked away from them. That was love, the real thing, not whatever parody she'd had with Bobby.

Remy was back to being focused on the cards in front of him, alone. It was good that Remy didn't have a girlfriend. It'd be easier to convince him or at least, have him convince himself that going north was an acceptable idea without a girlfriend to hold him in New Orleans. The family could be a problem and the friends.

Rogue pulled out her phone and held it up, making sure to disengage the flash and the sounds first. She maneuvered it until she had Remy on her screen and took a picture of him grinning at the man who had to be a cousin or a brother as Remy started to shuffle cards. Rogue sighed, didn't move the phone and switched over to her list of contacts that Logan had given her, scrolling through them, one eye on her list and one eye on Remy. It was difficult as she wanted to watch his hands maneuver the cards rather than read her list of names and numbers.

She forced her mind from the murmurings of her absorbed psyches telling her about what those fingers could do to her and back to the job. Tactics, in a mystery clues and red herrings were given or discovered. Tactics, when cultivating an air of mystery one didn't actually see the solution, in this case herself, to the very end. Tactics, no one in a mystery came forth directly to give the solution to the crime.

Clues tended to be small, commonplace but still memorable.

She watched Remy as he flipped cards over in his hands, flicking them out to the other players.

Thus, she didn't want him to see her for at least a day or two. She had a long list of contacts: bartenders, card dealers, bookies, mechanics, shop owners, a smuggler, his priest, some fortuneteller he was 'related' to and so on, but no direct contact to him. Remy probably already had a false impression of her intentions from that kiss she'd blown him earlier. She could foster that in some manner.

He swept up his hand and slid the cards into a neat row in front of him before peering under the edge of each of them. His face never changed.

He liked cards.

Cards were commonplace, small and memorable items. They were also cheap and if he thought she was interested in him…

Rogue smiled, cards had the suit of hearts. Hearts were a common symbol of love and affection.

She glanced at her list again. She could get really close to him with some of these contacts. She knew exactly where to find him in the evening and early afternoon. So, losing him while she got his attention wasn't a problem. She could find him again just as easily. She sorted through her contacts. She had better hold some back, the more personal ones if he proved to be more difficult than she expected and she had to up her game.

It was all just a game. She didn't really want his affection or interest personally. She wasn't attracted, really. It was only natural to appreciate someone with his looks. It was like looking at a TV star or a model.

Right.

It was only a job. Logan was counting on her to reel this guy in and bring him back to the mansion to join the team. There was nothing personal in this. She'd just broken up with her boyfriend. Men, in general, were on her shit list. It was only a game, a ploy. It was a strategy. Remy being exceptionally sexy was just a perk. The so called icing on the cake. It'd been a long time since she'd had any fun. And damn, this was going to be fun.

She shut her phone and glanced back at Remy. She smiled, gestured to the bartender, paid her tab and left.

Now, all she needed to come up with was a suitable message.

* * *

_Reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Queen's High  
Chapter Three: It's All In The Cards Pt. 1**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, not Origins compatible._  
**Summary:** Rogue's simple recruitment mission turns into a battle of wills as she tries to capture the attention of a certain Cajun, and gives him a very bad day.  
**Author's Note:**A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. 99% of the card decks mentioned in the next two chapters are real if you want to see their backs better. The one deck that isn't is the tourist deck and I based it on a deck I saw in San Francisco.

Remy's day started off well enough. He'd gotten up comfortably after the sun rose. Tante Mattie had made his favorite breakfast, which was pretty much anything Tante Mattie deigned to make for breakfast or else one felt the back of her hand. Papa didn't have a job for him yet, so he had another day to rest up and enjoy being home in his favorite belle ville for the time being. He'd left the house, gone to his favorite café to get a café au lait and read the paper. It was his nice, safe morning routine.

The barista, the owner of the place and one of his very favorite people, smiled at him and pushed a card at him with his coffee. "A pretty lady asked me to give yah dis, Remy." She said with a knowing grin.

Remy glanced at the card briefly. She'd given it to him face down so all he could see was the back. It looked like a normal playing card, Bicycle brand with the two wheels and the angels colored red. He swiped it with his coffee. "Merci beaucoup, cherie." He said and smiled at her.

He took the card and his coffee, sat down at his favorite small table out on the sidewalk and turned the card over.

The two of hearts, the lovers card, signifying the meeting and joining of two souls in a solid partnership. There was romance in the air with this card.

Written neatly in black sharpie in the middle was the letter B.

Remy stared at it, coffee forgotten. He had no idea what it meant or who had sent it. Was it a warning? Or a proposition? What did 'B' mean? Was it an initial? Was it some sort of single letter message to go with the rest of the card? He had not a clue.

His day was shot to hell.

* * *

Rogue glanced around the bike shop. She couldn't see anybody but the door was open and the lights were on, the general mode when a place was open. Plus, it was after nine in the morning. She saw the silver service bell on the counter. She grinned, leaned against the counter and used the palm of her hand to press down on it. The chime rang through the still quiet shop.

"Comin' just hold yer horses!" Someone shouted from the back.

Rogue snickered. "Take yer time sugah." She called back. "Ah'll wait 'till yah'll are decent."

A man in dark blue coveralls and a nametag that read Joe came from the back door wiping his hands on a rag. "Well, Ah don' know nuttin' 'bout dat." He muttered and then blinked when he got a good look at her. He quickly rubbed the stubble on his face with the back of his hand. "Allo doll, what can Ah do for yah?"

"Just a little favor." Rogue smiled and pulled out a deck of cards and slid off the top one. She turned it over, the three of hearts. "Ah've got this friend of a friend and they tell me that he's a client of yers and Ah really need to get him a message." She set the card on the table.

The guy rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, if yah need his number, Ah don' t'ink Ah can do dat."

Rogue shook her head. "That's fine, sugar. If yah could pass it along, Ah'd be more than happy." She said and picked a pen out of the can he kept them in. She wrote an E between the hearts and slid it across the counter with a fifty dollar bill. "Would yah see that this gets to Remy Lebeau? For me, sugar. Ah'd be ever so grateful."

He eyed the card with the cash and glanced at her. She smiled big at him. His eyes dropped to her cleavage and then back to her face. "Ah can do dat, doll."

She reached over and ran a finger along his jaw. "Thank yah, ever so much." She almost purred. She shoved away from the counter and turned to go.

"Wait, what's the message?"

She turned her head. "It's all in de cards. Just give him that card. He'll get it, eventually." She said and left the shop. She mounted her motorcycle and roared out of the shop, making sure the mechanic saw it.

The mechanic stared after it, his hand reaching for the phone. "Dat is one fine lady and one _fine_ bike." He muttered.

* * *

Remy's phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket. His ID said 'Joe's Bike and Auto' and he frowned. He didn't have anything over at there being fixed. He answered. "Allo."

"Remy, dis is Joe. Ah got a message for yah."

"Well, t'en tell Remy."

"Ah can't, Ah'm supposed to give it to yah." Joe sounded amused. "It ain't really a verbal t'in'."

Remy closed his eyes and thought about rubbing his temples. Who had a physical message for him at nine in the morning that they'd entrust to Joe? He could think of a few names and none of them were really messages that Remy wanted to receive nor were they messages that Remy would entrust to Joe for very long. "Remy'll drop by."

"Today?"

"Soon as Remy can."

"Bon."

Remy shut the phone and stood up, gathering his paper that he hadn't even gotten to read. He took the last swig of his now cold coffee and left waving at the barista. He stuffed the two of hearts in his back pocket and the paper into his saddlebag, maybe he'd get to read it sometime today. He mounted his motorcycle and drove across town to Joe's shop.

Joe was waiting for him in the big garage door, one hand in his back pocket the other holding a well worn white mug filled with whatever sludge Joe considered coffee. Remy dismounted and walked across to him, grinning. "Bon matin, Joe."

"Good mornin' indeed." Joe grinned. "Always a good mornin' when a fine lookin' femme is mah first customer. Too bad she was lookin' for yah." Joe mock scowled at him. He pulled out his hand and held it out. "Here's yer message."

Remy rocked back on his heels and took the small card from him. "Dat's it." It didn't look like the same style of card that he'd gotten from the barista.

"Dat's it." Joe nodded. He smirked. "Expectin' somet'in' more?"

Remy turned the card over, three of hearts. "Dunno." He muttered without lookin' up.

"Fine ride she had too, wouldn't have minded getting' a good look at it." Joe took a gulp of his coffee.

There was an E written in blue ballpoint ink between two of the hearts and it was the same hand writing as before. The three of hearts meant new opportunities with a chance for betterment, a cause for celebration or festivities, love and happiness. It was something that was not to be missed. He tried to digest the meaning and put it in perspective with the other card he had. It still wasn't making any sense. Joe's words caught up with him. "She had a motorcycle?" Remy asked.

"Yeah, a fine looking Suzuki, customized."

Something in his stomach settled down like a rock and it felt like dread. "She didn't have two white stripes in her hair, did she?"

"Yeah and fine…" Joe trailed off. "Well, she was pretty." He said and flushed. "Yah know her, Remy? She seemed like she wanted to know yah."

Remy turned the card back over. It was a tourist style deck you could pick up at any chain drug store with a picture of New Orleans' and the city's name in a fancy script going up the side. "Non."

"Too bad."

"Oui." Remy shrugged and put the card in his pocket with the other one. "Merci Joe."

"Yah don' sound too sure 'bout dat."

Remy glanced at him. "Remy ain't."

Joe chuckled. "Good luck."

Remy grimaced. He might just need it.

* * *

_Later that day_

Rogue stopped by the alley again. The same guy was there with his hat and his scraggly hair and the general attitude of watching the street. She shut off her bike, kicked down the stand and pulled the key out of the ignition. She wasn't stupid. She approached him.

"If it ain't de pretty gal again."

She grinned at him. "So Ah am, sugar."

He shook his head. "Remy ain't here yet."

Rogue couldn't help it. She smirked. "Ah know. He's been runnin' unexpected errands all mornin'. He'll be a bit late." She cocked her hip and pulled out the next card from her stack and turned it around her fingers, pressing the edge of it to her lips. "Don' worry, he'll make it."

The man chuckled. "Yah seem sure 'bout dat."

"He wouldn't miss his game now." Rogue flipped the card again and winked. "Would yah be so kind to give this to him when he arrives? Might wanna add somet'in' on about bein' late and just missin' me." She dug a pen out of her pocket and wrote the letter I under the middle heart so it looked like the heart itself was the dot for it. She pulled out another high denomination bill and held out all three to him.

"Keep yer money, sha." He said.

Rogue shook her head. "For yer time."

He sighed. "Sha, Ah live bettah dan yah do, keep yah money. Ah'll see dat DB gets yer message, all of it."

Rogue bit her lip and then nodded. "Merci, sugar." She subtracted the money and he finally took the card and the pen. "Yer a good one."

He smiled. "De chilluns have not'in' to fear wit' me on watch."

She nodded at him, one warrior to another and mounted her bike. She started it up again and rode away certain that Remy would get her message.

Remy arrived about ten minutes later. He parked his bike and ran his fingers through his long hair. He glared at the road for a moment. He hadn't had a moment's peace since Joe called him. He dismounted his bike and took off his shirt, stalking towards the alley. He needed to just relax and get away from the damn cards.

"DB," the lookout said. "Yer late, mon ami."

Remy stopped and looked down at him. "Remy's been runnin' errands." He almost snarled and took a breath. "Desole."

The lookout grinned up at him, showing a few missing teeth. "Yah just missed her."

Remy's eyes widened and he took off his sunglasses. "Qu'est-ce?"

The lookout held up the card. "Errands?" He asked and smirked. "Dat gal has yah chasin' yer tail." He said and tsked.

Remy stared at the card and in a daze reached out to take it. "Just errands." He muttered. He knew what it had to be. The back was blue with the logo of the New Orleans' Hornets on it, but the face? He knew what it had to be, he just wasn't sure of the letter. He turned it over and almost bit his tongue. The seven of hearts with an 'I' written on it. He didn't know what the 'I' was about but the rest of the card meant dangerous self-involvement, fantasies, lovesickness, daydreaming with unrealistic expectations. Was the 'I' for her? Or was it for him?

The lookout rolled his eyes. "What did yah do t'is time?"

"Remy didn't do nuttin'! Remy don' even know who she is!" Remy protested.

"Pretty gal like dat and yah don' know." The lookout tsked again and shook his head. "De famous Diable Blanc is slippin'." His yellowed eyes narrowed. "Perhaps yah are enjoyin' t'is."

Remy wanted to stomp his foot and would have if the lookout hadn't been one of the older Guild members who could beat his ass despite the fact he looked like a crippled old man. "Remy is not." He hadn't a clue what was going on and he wanted to tear his hair out, the different cards made it worse.

"Remy!" Henri shouted from down the alley. "Yer late!"

Remy groaned. "Remy's comin'." He sighed. "Merci for de message." He said, tucking the card with the rest and walked down the alley.

"Cuz," Emil bounced up to him, sun shining off of his red-orange hair. "Where have yah been?"

Remy rubbed his face. He was not going to hear the end of this, ever. "Runnin' errands." He muttered. "Dat femme." He started and then stopped.

"What femme?" Emil asked. His brow furrowed. This was the first time he had heard of any girl in relation to his cousin, at least in the past week.

"De one from yesterday." Remy said and glanced at Henri. "She blew me a kiss." He smirked and then scowled. "All mornin' she's been sendin' me _cards._" He raked his fingers through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "Been goin' all o'er town collectin' playin' cards with little letters wrote on dem."

Henry snickered. He couldn't help it.

"It ain't funny." Remy wanted to kick him. "One wit' my coffee, den o'er to Joe's and den de barbershop, and when all Remy wan's is de mail, dere's one de box wit' a note from de postmaster. Den, Remy gets a call from de bookie. So Remy has to head o'er dere t'inkin' it's somet'in' important. But no, it's just anot'er damn playin' card."

Emil gaped at him as did several of the other guys. Henry coughed once and then started to laugh hysterically. Remy glared at him.

"She's sendin' yah playin' cards." Theoren said and his mouth opened and closed.

"Let me see." Etienne said.

"Non." Remy growled. It was the suit of _hearts_. (He didn't even want to go into the fact they were from different decks of the same size.) He knew exactly how his family would take it. It was bad enough that four of hearts (inspiration, that spark of genius when touched by love, travel in his future and security) with the letter 'S' had been halfway across town from Joe's at his barber's and the back had been gold with the Saint's Fleur de Leis on it. His barber had almost not wanted to give it up. He was a huge fan of the Saints. Five of hearts (a perfectly ordinary red and white lattice back Bee brand card) had another 'E' on it and was an all around card with poor indicators (apathy, jealousy and relationship breakdowns) had arrived with his mail and six of hearts (regret, holding onto the past, a wave of good luck with hints of someone taking an interest) on a card with a one hundred dollar bill on it with a third 'E' had been across town from the post office. At least the two of hearts and seven of hearts had been _given_ to him. If he had to run after another one, whenever he met that girl in person, he might just throttle her.

Or maybe he'd kiss her. She was a belle femme.

And worst of all he still didn't know what it all meant. He didn't like being toyed with especially when he wasn't the one doing the toying. To make matters worse, she'd _just_ been here. If he'd been even five minutes faster maybe he'd have answers. It made him want to scream.

"Please?" Eitenne begged.

"Can we just play de game?" Remy scowled.

Henry smirked. "Sure."

"Bon." Remy sighed.

"But if yah lose, yah have to show us de cards." Henry finished.

Remy swore under his breath at him.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High: Rogue continues to torment Remy with a string of cards... will it ever end and what is her message anyways?  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Queen's High  
Chapter Four: It's All In The Cards Pt. 2**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, not Origins compatible._  
**Summary:** Remy's day goes from bad to worse as Rogue takes her 'simple' recruitment mission from Logan and turns it into a battle of wills in a bid to get Remy's attention.  
**Author's Note:**A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! She tells me all her favorite characters. Cast of note are Vin Diesel playing Henri Lebeau and Ron Perlman (aka Reinhardt from Blade 2) playing Jean-Luc Lebeau. For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Nonobligatory shout out to the Transporter!

Rogue hummed under her breath and watched as the well-dressed man sat down across the table from her. He pulled out a piece of paper.

"Do yah know how this works, luv?" He asked.

Rogue leaned back in her chair. "No names. Cash."

"Right." He looked up at her, pen poised over his notepad.

Rogue crossed her legs and held up a card. "Ah want you to deliver this to one of yer regular clients. Ah'm sure yah know how to find him."

He stared at the card. "Yah have got to be kiddin' me, right?"

Rogue smirked and shook her head. "Nope."

"Yah are hirin' me to deliver a playin' card." He dropped the pen and pushed back from the table. "This ain't worth mah time." He stood.

Rogue's eyes narrowed. "Sit." She said and it was a command. He had the bearing and demeanor of former military. He sat. She smiled at him. "Ah'll make it worth yer while, sugar." She set the ten of hearts on the table and picked up his pen. She wrote a Y on it between the two hearts in the middle. "Humor me." She said and set his pen back onto the pad of paper.

He stared at her. He inhaled. "Fine."

"Since yah don' do names, we'll have to go wit' descriptions." Rogue slid the card over. "He's got long brown hair and eyes like a demon, red irises on black, olive skin, handsome devil."

The smuggler paused in the middle of reaching for his pen. He knew exactly whom she was talking about. His heart stopped in the middle of his chest for a moment. She wanted him to deliver a playing card to Le Diable Blanc. She had to be crazy, absolutely certifiable, off her rocker. That man did not play other people's games. "Him?"

"Yah think yah can find 'im? Ah know he's in the city." Rogue rested her elbow on the chair arm.

"Then why don' yah give it to him yourself." He glared at her.

Rogue's smiled broadened. "Because Ah don' want to." She glanced down at the pad of paper. "Go on. Figure it out for me."

"Lady," He muttered and shook his head. "Yah ain't right." He started to figure it out.

"So, Ah've got issues. Yah don't?" Rogue twirled a lock of hair around her finger and watched him add it all up.

"When did yah want it delivered?"

"Today, before he goes to his club to play poker." Rogue paused in her hair twirling. "He should be playin' blackjack about now." She smiled. The smuggler finished totaling his price. He slid it across to her. She looked it over and nodded. "Now double it."

The smuggler stared at her. "Crazy." He muttered. She slid the required money across the table. He took it, his pad of paper, pen and the playing card. "Good doin' business wit' yah." He said and left.

Rogue watched and smiled.

* * *

Remy sat down in front of the blackjack table. He'd lost the basketball game. His brother, cousins and friends had a lot of incentive to make sure he did and had enough talent between them to make sure it happened. Their reactions had been exactly as he expected, though they weren't sure what the whole letters on the cards were about either. They thought the fact the cards were from completely different decks fascinating though and hilarious. They wanted to know more about the belle femme who went to so much work to get his attention.

Merde. Remy wanted to know.

The dealer nodded at him. "For you, sir." He said and slid a card across the green felt to him.

The card wasn't from a house deck, though it was red. Remy recognized the large circle on the back that sort of looked like a roulette wheel coming from a Tally-Ho deck.

Remy flipped it over. It was the eight of hearts with an N between the two in the middle. His jaw tightened. The eight signified obsession, a letter of love, an unexpected gift or visit. His fingers tightened on it and magenta energy slipped into the card from his body making it sparkle. With a hiss, he called it back into his body and tucked it away. He looked up at the dealer. "Lay dem down." He said and searched for a waiter.

He needed a stiff drink, fast.

The dealer started the game.

* * *

An hour later and feeling much better, flush with cash and slightly tipsy, Remy nodded at the housekeeper and tossed his hat onto the nearby rack. Bourbon made everything better. He could have a belle femme sending him cards from wildly different decks with cryptic letters on them, but it didn't matter. He had bourbon. He'd won at blackjack. Life was good.

He entered the parlor.

Mercy looked up from a wingback chair next to the fireplace. Henry sprawled on the loveseat nearby and Jean-Luc smoked a long black cigarette across from Mercy. Remy shook his head.

"Papa, mon frere, ma soeur." He said. He glanced at the table between them. A bouquet of deep burgundy roses, Black Baccara Roses, a dozen in a cut glass vase graced the table. "T'ose are lovely, Mercy." He said.

Mercy smiled sweetly. "T'ey are. T'ey're for yah."

Remy stopped moving, the buzz from his head draining until he was completely sober. He eyed the bouquet as if it was a wild animal about to bite him, Black Baccara roses, the rose of deepest desire, a full dozen of them, the traditional number.

Henry crossed his legs. "Dere's a card. We left it in it." He drawled and smiled at Remy.

Remy went around the loveseat. He could see it on a plastic spear in the midst of the roses, the back of the card to him, an illustration of a single red rose on the back. He took it out and looked at the face, hands sweaty and throat closed. The nine of hearts, the card of fortune, of wishes coming true, he glanced at the flowers, his deepest desires coming true, especially when it came to love. He felt dizzy and he stumbled backwards to sit down. Henry barely moved his feet out of the way in time. Remy covered his eyes with his hand. On the bright side, the nine of hearts could mean hatred, but somehow he doubted given the rest of the messages and the flowers, that this nine meant anything of the sort. He glanced at the card again. In red calligraphy ink, she'd written the letter 'G.'

She'd sent him flowers. Remy felt his face heat. "Mon Dieu." He whispered.

The housekeeper stopped in the door of the parlor. "Monsieur Remy, yah have a visitor. He declines to give his name."

Remy looked up and over his shoulder. He recognized the well dressed man behind her but had never thought he'd seek Remy out here. "Remy knows him. Merci, Anastasie."

"De rien." She said and curtsied, leaving them.

The smuggler entered the room and Remy got up. They shook hands and the smuggler smiled at him. "Let's keep t'is short. Ah was paid a lot of money by a crazy femme to give t'is to yah." He said and pulled out a playing card, it looked like a Confederate Flag.

Remy took the card and flipped it over. He sighed. "Y. Dat is a good question, mon ami." He said.

"Ah don' want to know. Ah just get paid. Au revoir, monsieur." The smuggler said and started to leave. He stopped. "She's a belle femme, but Ah'm not sure she's all t'ere." He said. "Good luck wit' her." He left. Remy heard the front door close behind him.

He turned the ten of hearts over in his hand. It was the card of loneliness, isolation that preceded good luck and a change of fortune leading to success especially in the home.

"Flowers, Rems." Mercy said from behind him. "T'is must be love."

Henri grinned. "Even one on de card. Such tokens of esteem, Remy."

Remy flushed again. "Remy don' even know her name!" He turned around and saw Papa grinning at him. He groaned. "Remy don't! Remy has never met her before in Remy's life."

Henri's eyebrow rose. "She blew yah a kiss."

"Dat's not de same as an actual meetin'." Remy glared at him, came around the couch and sat down, crossing his arms. He glowered at the roses.

"So, where are yah gonna put dem?" Mercy smiled. "In yer room? T'ey'd go nicely on yer bedside table. Maybe she'll send yah a picture next to go wit' dem."

Remy groaned and sank down into the seat. "Why is she doin' t'is to Remy?"

"It's all dat Karma comin' back to bite yah." Henri nodded.

"Remy is so confused." He tried to sink further into the loveseat, anything to get away from Henri's jibes and Papa's knowing grin.

"So, how many cards left?"

"Four." Remy muttered. "In de suit, if she gives Remy de entire deck, Remy is gonna go crazy." He didn't want to know if the belle femme could come up with 54 different card backs to fill out an entire deck of cards.

"Well, den yah'd be well matched." Mercy nodded.

Henri said at the same time. "Yer not already dere?"

Remy tugged the pillow out from under his body and smacked Henri with it.

* * *

Remy wasn't sure he'd smoked so much in his life as he did today. He blew out a deep breath and looked both ways before entering the shop. This whole card thing was starting to get to him. He wasn't sure where one would turn up next.

The shop owner smiled at him. "Your usual, monsieur."

Remy smiled back. "Oui."

The shopkeeper got out his usual order and Remy gave him the exact amount needed to cover the bill and put some into the tip jar. He gathered his things from the counter.

"Your change, monsieur." The shopkeeper said.

Remy opened his mouth to remind him that he didn't need change. Then he saw it, another card, Steamboat brand with tiny flowers between diamond pin striping. He took it in a daze. "Merci." He muttered.

"Have a good evening, monsieur."

"You too." Remy replied absently and left the shop. On the street he turned the card over, knowing which one it was before he did. The jack of hearts stared up at him, the warm hearted friend, the younger admirer. It could be another jealousy card, but he doubted it. Around one of the hearts in the corner in thick black marker was the letter 'O'.

Remy dodged off to the side of the walk and tucked the card away.

He needed another smoke.

* * *

Rogue draped the scarf through her elbows before entering the restaurant. She glanced about and tried not to look as impressed as she felt at the atmosphere of the place. The walls were light with contrasting carved dark wood that matched all the other wood in the place. Cut glass sparkled everywhere throwing rainbows when the low lighting hit it just right. There were fresh cut flowers on every table. She didn't want to think about the cost of a meal here. It was a good thing she wasn't actually here to eat. She smiled at the Maitre D' as she approached.

He didn't smile back.

Rogue inwardly sighed. Oh, he was going to be a pain. One of the type of men who thought they were royalty and everyone else, unless on their certain list, were peasants. They understood one thing, money. She thought about that for a second and added, or sex.

The Maitre D' stared down his nose at her. "Do you have a reservation?" He asked with a perfect Parisian French accent.

She kept her smile on her face by sheer force of will, making it elegant and charming. "Actually, Ah'm waitin' for someone. They made the reservation."

He sighed. "Name."

"Remy Lebeau." She tilted her head to the side.

The Maitre D' sniffed. "His reservation is at seven." He paused. "For one." He added.

Rogue feigned shock. "One." She gasped. "Why!" She blew out a breath and regained her 'composure.' "Perhaps, yah could give him a message for me." She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"I'm not a messenger boy." He said.

Rogue pulled out her cards and stared at the Queen, the next card on the pile. She was down to her last letter, but- She turned the card around looking into the woman's face. Something didn't feel right about giving him the Queen and then the King, leaving the Ace for her final message. Her gut said not to and Logan always said to trust her instincts. They were usually right. She looked up at the haughty Maitre D' who watched her stone faced. She smiled at him like Mona Lisa and tucked the Queen behind the Ace. She reached down, took the marker he had for marking off tables and wrote a U around the heart on the King. She tucked a couple hundred dollar bills behind it and reached over slipping it into the Maitre D's front suit pocket behind his silk handkerchief. "Well, yah are tonight sugar." She said and patted it. She lowered her lashes. "Much obliged." She purred.

She turned and left. She glanced to the side and saw Remy coming up the walk. She smiled and turned the opposite way he was going.

The game was almost over or at least this step of it.

* * *

The Maitre D' sat Remy and set the card down in front of him. "A rather insistent woman told me to give you this, monsieur."

Remy stared at the King, the red U around the heart. His capacity for surprise was wearing out. He looked up at the Maitre D'. "Yah don' usually do dat Christophe."

"She didn't give me a choice."

"She paid yah." Remy said and flipped it over quickly to glance at the brand. It was an Arrco U.S. Reg. The overly fancy design with leaves and the double diamond in the middle was unmistakable from any other.

Christophe gritted his teeth. "Oui."

Remy sighed and flipped the card face up. "If it makes yah feel any better, Remy has been getting' cards all day from everyone Remy knows."

Christophe digested that. "A little." He glanced sideways at Remy. "A persistent admirer? Or a stalker?"

"Remy has no idea. Remy would like to eat dinner in peace." He didn't want flowers or singing telegrams or more cards raining down upon him. He wanted his food, well prepared and to be left alone to think.

Christophe smiled. "She left before you arrived, Monsieur. I believe your dinner is safe."

"Merci Dieu." Remy sighed. "Wine, Christophe, s'il vous plait. It has been a long day."

"Of course, monsieur." Christophe bowed and left.

Remy looked at the card. The king of hearts, the suicide king, the card of self destruction, a dashing man, a man of action whose deeds showed his love not his words, one that helped without much talk. He eyed the letter U. Was that supposed to mean that Remy was the King of Hearts? Or something else? He pulled the small deck of cards from his pocket and pushing the tableware away from him, laid them out in order, despite the fact he was still missing-

He paused as he put down the Jack. He didn't have the Queen. He pushed the King to the side and stared at the row of Hearts in front of him. Two through ten and the Jack were all there, but there was no Queen and no Ace. He put a finger on the blank spot between the Jack and the King on the snowy white linen tablecloth. His favorite lady was missing.

It didn't make any sense. She should have given him the Queen next, not the King. His mysterious femme had been going in order all day.

But the Queen was missing. His Queen, his favorite card outside of the Ace of Spades had been denied him.

He scanned the cards again and the letters registered from his eyes to his brain.

'Be seeing you.' They read.

He closed his eyes and decided to finally rub his temples. Could have she just sent a single card or something else? Maybe she could have used a single deck? This seemed like a lot of work to tell him that she'd be seeing him later. And she'd already told him that anyways. There had been no need to repeat herself. He got the message the first time, not that he'd really believed it at the time. What was up with this woman? He restrained a whimper.

"Monsieur, your wine." Christophe said.

Remy stopped rubbing long enough to look over at it. It was a very good vintage from an excellent year. He sighed. "Leave de bottle, Christophe. Remy is goin' to be needin' it."

If this kept up, it was going to be a long night. Chrisophe took pity on him and left the bottle.

* * *

The bottle of wine had been barely enough to get him to relax. Remy decided that getting steadily drunk over the rest of the course of the evening sounded like a wonderful idea. There was no trouble in his life that enough alcohol couldn't put off for at least twelve hours.

He leaned against the bar, ordered his usual bourbon from Gascon making it a double for good measure. Gascon shook his head but filled his order promptly. He set the glass down in front of Remy and a playing card next to it, red Maverick-Hoyle, a plethora of art nouveau leaves in a square frame.

Remy stared at it.

Getting drunk had been a good idea, staying sober seemed like a much better idea now. He flipped the card over. Of the two choices, he wasn't sure which he was dreading more. The Ace of Hearts stared back at him. The Ace of Hearts, a love letter from a new love, the communion, the beauty that couldn't be forgotten or ignored, all problems and troubles were lifting in favor of happiness. It was a suitable end to the chain of messages he'd been receiving. In the middle of the card behind the heart, she'd drawn in X inside a thick circle.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? The only symbolism that he knew related to the letter 'X' was a kiss. Was she sealing her message, as she had before, with a kiss? He groaned and buried his head in his arm.

"Problems?" Gascon asked.

"Yah have no idea." Remy muttered. "Remy don' wan' to talk about it." He added.

One card left, one card, his favorite card, his lady, dare he hope that with his favorite card that he'd get some answers?

Maybe he needed to change his routine. If she'd wanted to kill him, he'd be long dead by now. In fact, he hadn't realized he was such a creature of habit when he was home. Papa should beat him black and blue. Remy picked up his bourbon and pressed it to his forehead. When was this torment going to end?

Gascon snorted. "Remy, perhaps yah need to finally make a choice and settle down. Run all dese meddlin' femmes away."

Remy groaned again. That was the last thing he needed. "Maybe Remy should leave town."

Gascon guffawed. "De great Le Diable Blanc runnin' from a sweet faced femme."

"T'is one is scary." Remy muttered. He lifted his head and palmed the card. "Belle or non."

Gascon's teeth flashed against his dark skin as he smiled. "Den she's got two t'in's goin' for her."

Remy sighed. He swept up the card, adding it to his collection that he was carrying for no reason he could figure out. "Remy don' want to know. He really don'." He said and went to his table to play poker. He didn't even think about changing his usual seat until the rest were filled and there was no way to ask to change without some serious ribbing. He shot a glance at Mercy leaning up behind Henri's chair running her fingers over his baldhead watching the game.

He mentally cursed and kept his mouth shut. He checked his hand comparing it with the two blinds. A few hands later, he was focused entirely on the game. His mysterious femme put to the back of his mind.

Rogue entered the bar behind him. Her lips curved up into a smile. She unzipped her coat as she slipped through the different patrons towards him. A quick glance at the bar confirmed that the bartender was watching. She winked at him. He grinned at her. She glanced back at Remy coming up behind him.

Remy felt someone approach, someone just rippling with amusement. Mercy's eyes narrowed as she saw Rogue. Mercy knew Remy didn't really have a type for his sexual liaisons, beautiful about covered it, and this girl fit the bill. Oval face, full lips painted dark red, the color of Black Baccara Roses, long dark brown hair the front locks dyed a stark white and sparkling emerald eyes. Was this his mysterious woman sending him cards and flowers?

Rogue leaned over placing her lips next to his ear. She reached in front of him and placed a card face down next to his hand. The black and white somewhat gothic design of two Spades butt to butt was jarring next to the red of the table's playing deck. "Missin' somethin' sugar?" She murmured. She smiled and drew away, caressing his jaw with the back of her fingers. She could hear the rasp of his stubble against the leather but she couldn't feel it. She mentally sighed. He looked even better when he needed to shave. She used the distraction to unclasp his necklace, sliding it from his throat. He didn't notice.

Remy stared at the card, too stunned by the honey like voice in his ear, the tingling her touch induced and her sweet orange blossom scent to move.

Rogue hid the necklace in the palm of her hand. She flitted her eyes across the table and smirked at their stunned faces. She spun on her toes and left the way she came. The door shut behind her.

Remy started and spun in his chair.

"Too late." Mercy said.

"Merde." Henri muttered. Gascon gave a low whistle from the bar.

Remy turned back around and flipped the card over.

His favorite lady lay in front of him, smiling, the Queen of Hearts, the mature woman, a caring and affectionate lady with kind advice. Along the edge his mysterious femme had written a series of numbers, her phone number.

Remy's jaw worked. A full suit of cards and _thirteen_ decks later and he _still_ didn't have any answers. If her intent had been to frustrate and tease him, she had succeeded. He just wanted to know what he'd done to deserve this mistreatment.

Theoren leaned back in his chair. "Ah don' t'ink yah can use dat as part of yer hand, cuz." He said.

Etienne raised his eyebrow. "A Split Spades card. No. It won't fit wit' de rest of de cards. Dead give away."

Remy looked up and glared at them. Theoren just smiled back. Etienne ignored it and looked at his cards.

Emil coughed. "Real belle admirer, Remy. Gotta admire her technique."

"Technique?" Remy grated out.

Emil added his smile to Theoren's. "Yer bet."

Remy picked up the card and palmed it. "Raise." He said and the game continued. Remy just hoped and prayed that this was the last card.

* * *

Rogue fit her body into the rhythm of the crowd going down the walk and put the necklace around her neck, clasping it over her hair and then tugging it out from under the binding, the metal still warm from his body heat. She grinned and couldn't stop. Stage one of her plan complete, this called for a celebration and Logan had recommended a bar with strong whisky, loud music and smooth running pool tables a few blocks away, the perfect cap to a most enjoyable day.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand it's purely cupboard love.)_

_Next time on Queen's High... Rogue has given the initiative to Remy, will he take it... and Logan is getting impatient.  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**Queen's High  
Chapter Five: Tokens of Sentiment**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Remy notices his missing necklace, Logan gets impatient with Rogue on how she's handling her recruitment mission while she buys Remy a little gift... and then gives it to him indirectly upping their game.  
**Author's Note:**A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! She would tell me of little things, like bad characterization. Cast of note is Queen Latifah playing Tante Mattie! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Nonobligatory reference to Firefly!

_To Scottfan (and anyone else who is interested): Thank you for your feedback and critique! I appreciate it. Your honesty and politeness is refreshing. I wish you had felt comfortable enough though to leave a signed review. I can see where you're coming from. Your opinion is that Remy is acting out of character because has more life experience so he shouldn't be acting so confounded and 'like a lump.' I'd agree if this story were straight movie canon and Remy was in his mid thirties to early forties. A thirty or forty year old Remy would have tracked Rogue down and confronted her, indeed! Though, Rogue wouldn't approach a mid thirty year old Remy in the same way. In Queen's High, Remy is at most twenty-two. He's young. His experience is about eight or so years of Bella and a few years of one night standing. He doesn't have the ability to track Rogue down and 'do something' given that he's been aware of her presence in the city for thirty-three hours as of the last chapter and let's be honest, Rogue is acting a bit 'call the police' stalker-ish. If you don't like reading about Remy shocked, confused, at times nervous and caught off guard, maybe this story isn't for you. This saddens me. Thanks for reading and reviewing! ~ PGG PS. The last sentence goes to all my anon reviewers! I love you too!_

* * *

Remy groaned at the morning light hitting his eyes. He'd tossed and turned all night long, chasing beautiful women with dark hair and green eyes in his dreams. The unfamiliar scent of roses kept waking him up and translating into vines with thorns holding him back from catching her. He rolled over and glared at the deep red flowers on his nightstand, the pile of marked Hearts sitting next to the vase, the Queen on top. Anastasie was far too efficient in her duties. Remy covered his eyes with his hand and groaned again.

What was this day going to bring?

He peered at the Queen of Hearts between his fingers. She'd given him her number. He wasn't sure he wanted to give her the satisfaction of him replying to her, over thought out and sometimes rather disturbing on how much she knew about him, interest.

He sighed and debated getting up. He couldn't make any decisions until he showered, ate something and had coffee.

Coffee was the most important thing on his list. His brain still felt muzzy from lack of sleep and the drinks his cousins kept giving him the night before. He should remember not to drink alcohol and then eat something inappropriately sugary before bed.

Because his dreams had just been weird.

He'd probably picked up something inadvertently from Henri and Mercy.

He'd better have just picked up something inadvertently from Henri and Mercy. Damn empathy anyways.

He grumbled and finally sat up swinging his legs out from under his sheets. What a way to start the day. He rubbed his hand through his hair and ended at the base of his neck and froze feeling nothing but bare skin. His necklace was missing. He brought his hand around to his chest trying to feel for it.

When? How? He turned and looked at the disheveled bed and didn't see it.

Merde. He couldn't have lost it. He'd been all over town yesterday. He _couldn't_ have lost it. He sighed, feeling his heart settle somewhere around his toes. It was probably gone. Who knows when or even where he might have lost it. Just, Jean-Luc had given him that necklace for his birthday. It'd been simple. Remy _liked_ it. There was sentimental value attached to the chain of silver. And he'd _lost_ it.

Yeah. What a way to start a day.

* * *

Remy entered his favorite café. He'd decided somewhere between his shower and breakfast that he wasn't going to let some girl chase him away from his favorite places to be. This was _his_ town, merde. He smiled at Melodie, the best barista in N'Awlin's in his opinion. She grinned back at him.

"Bon Matin, Remy." She said and started to get his coffee.

"Matin, cherie." He said and leaned against the counter.

"Yah seem down." She said and finished his order, placing it in front of him.

"Just an odd day. Remy hopes to get through his paper wit'out bein' interrupted." He smiled lopsidedly at her. He couldn't confess to Melodie that he'd lost his favorite necklace. It was much too girly of a sentiment.

Melodie looked sympathetic. "Well, maybe Ah have somet'in' dat will make yah feel bettah." She reached under the counter and pulled out one of his favorite cakes. "Dat girl who left yah de card was in here again t'is mornin' for breakfast. She bought yah t'is and says she hopes dat yah have a bettah day today."

He eyed the cake. This was exactly what he had meant by distractions. On one hand, it was his favorite. On the other hand, _she_ had bought it for him. Cake or not giving her the satisfaction, cake or, ah Hell. He was having a bad morning. He took the cake. "Merci, Melodie."

"Don' thank me, hun. She's de one dat asked about it and bought it for yah. She seems real sweet. Could be a winner." Melodie winked at him.

"Dunno, cherie. First, Remy has to find out her name." He looked up at Melodie and raised an eyebrow.

Melodie laughed. "Desole, Remy. She pays in cash."

"Figures." He grumbled. He took his coffee and his cake and went out to his favorite seat.

For a mercy, he actually got to read his paper.

* * *

Rogue leaned against the counter of the charm shop and looked down at the little figurines under the glass. She pushed her hair back with one hand and fingered Remy's chain around her neck with the other.

Her phone rang.

Rogue sighed and with a rough motion pushed half of her hair back before pulling her phone out of her pocket. _Badger._

Of course it was Logan. She answered before the ring tone could be obnoxious again. She really had to think about changing it. He'd called her almost every hour yesterday and she was getting sick of it. She'd refused to answer after the second call. She'd been _busy._

"Logan." She said.

"Hey kid. Have you talked to him yet?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"It wasn't that long of a conversation. In fact, it weren't a conversation at all. Ah _talked_ to him and he sat there lookin' a bit stunned." Rogue narrowed her eyes and moved down the case. She needed to find something that would suit Remy. She wished she knew more personal things about him other than he liked poker.

"Then you're comin' home." He said as if this was a foregone conclusion.

"Nope." Rogue smirked. "Ah haven't given him the message yet."

"Stripes."

"Just a sec," Rogue said and pulled her phone away from her ear and fiddled with it. She found the picture of Remy and sent it to Logan's phone. She pressed it back to her ear. "Back. And, Ah got a picture. See, now that wasn't _too_ hard. Oh, and that bar yah recommended is great. Ah won a bunch of cash off some poor sods that didn't think Ah could play cause Ah was a girl."

"What are you doin'?"

"Recruitin'. Yah know, the job yah sent me down here to do."

"I know the job, kid."

"And since yah sent me, yah had to have a reason to be sendin' me even if Ah can't tell what it is. So, maybe yah should _back off_ and let me do mah _job_ as Ah see fit."

"You are makin' this unnecessarily complicated."

"Yah can say that. Yah are back in New York and are drinkin' buddies or somethin'." Rogue kept moving down the display of charms. She didn't want anything too girly but nothing too big either. Anything devil related would probably be insulting and she wasn't going to send him anything sexual. So, that left the cards again. "So, yah could come up to him, buy him a drink and he'd listen to yah. He don' know me from Eve. It does get a bit more complicated. Stop worryin'. He's in the city. He'll probably call me sometime this afternoon after his basketball game."

Rogue looked over the set of charms that depicted the suits of cards, both the tarot and the accepted modern suits. Coins were over diamonds. Wands were over clubs, swords over spades and cups over hearts. They were pretty, had what looked like to be Swarovski crystals in them and set in silver. They weren't as tacky as some of the other charms she'd seen displayed that dealt with gambling.

"Call you?"

"Ah told yah. Ah talked to him." Rogue gestured towards the sales woman and pointed at the display case with the charms. "May Ah look at those, please?"

"You're shopping!"

The clerk heard him and rolled her eyes. Rogue rolled her eyes as well. "Thanks." She said to the clerk and then shifted the phone back towards her mouth. "Well, do yah have a better idea?" She had some time to kill and she'd been browsing the shops and playing with Remy's necklace and had suddenly decided it needed some decoration.

"You could go and actually give Remy the message we sent you with." Logan sounded exasperated.

"Now why would Ah do that?" Rogue lifted each of them off the velvet and used a nearby mirror to look at them next to the chain. "He's got my number. He can call me." She didn't like any of the Tarot selections.

"Kid, I know your upset at Bobby."

"Don' say that name to me. Ah'm busy." Rogue glared at herself in the mirror and set the Heart symbol down. She wasn't in love and neither as far as she could tell was Remy. "Ah don' have time for him." Her heart had been broken into itty-bitty pieces. Besides, she'd given him enough hearts and hearts were a bit feminine. Remy wasn't girly.

Logan growled. "Will you stop taking your anger out on complete strangers and those of us who care for you?"

Rogue picked up the clover symbol and tilted her head. She didn't know if Remy was a good luck type of person and clubs equaled wands and wands well that was all that magic type stuff. She set the club back down and didn't pick up the diamond. Diamonds were a girl's best friend. "Is that what Ah'm doin'?" She asked and picked up the Spade.

"Accordin' to the Professor."

"Oh, the Professor." Rogue rolled the title around on her tongue and pressed the Spade against the hollow of her throat. She turned a little. Hmm, she liked it. And Spades represented Swords, the weapon of a dashing Knight. Remy could be quite a dashin' Knight she figured.

"And how does he have your number?"

"Well, funny thin'. Ah gave it to him." Rogue set the Spade back down and smiled. "Took mah all day too. Might have taken less time if yah'd quit tryin' to interrupt me while Ah'm workin'." Actually, it wouldn't have but Logan didn't need to know that. "Yah trust me right."

"Supposedly."

"Then trust me to know what Ah'm doin'." Rogue pulled out her money and took the charm up to the register.

"And what is that?"

"Recruitin'." Rogue said. "And it can't be rushed. So _back off._" She said and hung up the phone.

"Men." The clerk muttered.

Rogue nodded. "When will they figure out that the woman is always right?" She asked. Rogue watched as the clerk tallied up her purchase. She knew if she'd been in New York, she wouldn't be getting away with sassing Logan so much. However, since she was in New Orleans, she figured she had a few more days before he lost his temper completely.

The clerk finished totaling up the price of the charm. "Soon, Ah hope."

Rogue grinned and paid for her purchase and instead of taking a bag. She strung the charm onto the necklace. She checked it again in the mirror, adjusting it until she liked it and nodded. "Thanks a lot."

"Yah have a good day."

"Yah too, sugar." Rogue smiled and strutted out of the shop. Well, she was in New Orleans, maybe it was time she did something sufficiently touristy until Remy called her back. She smirked and looked around. There had to be something around here worthwhile to do.

* * *

Remy paced back in forth in the parlor of the house. Jean-Luc sat in his armchair next to the fire with one ankle on his knee watching him. The rest of the immediate family had discreetly found places around the parlor and out of Remy's direct path and line of sight to watch the impending entertainment. Tante Mattie was at the market telling fortunes in her stall and Remy was grateful he wouldn't have to deal with her often direct and still cryptic advice.

Remy shuffled the marked suit, still not sure why he'd replaced them into his pocket that morning when getting dressed. "Papa, Remy don' like head games."

"Yah've said that, several times." Henri drawled.

Remy glared at him. He was talking to Papa, not Henri. "Remy swears dat Remy has no idea of who she is."

"But she knows quite a bit about yer life." Emil chimed in.

Remy continued. "And has never met her before."

Apparently it was Etienne's turn. "Which is really sad, because someone dat can do t'is to Remy is really somet'in'."

Remy ignored them as best he could. He knew Theoren would be next. "And all Remy wants is to be left alone!" Remy said.

Remy had called it. Theoren didn't look down from where he was gazing at the ceiling as he said. "Despite de fact dare is a very belle femme chasin' after him for once instead of de ot'er way around."

Mercy didn't wait for Remy to say something. "Which points out dat she knows very little personally about Remy." She smirked. "Ot'erwise, she would prolly be runnin' in de ot'er direction."

"Mercy!" Remy hissed.

Mercy pursed her lips. "Maybe dat was uncalled for." She thought about it. "Nah. Carry on, mon frere."

Remy looked at Jean-Luc. "Papa?"

Jean-Luc rubbed his fingers along the thin beard along the edge of his jaw. "So, what does she want?"

"Remy don' know." Remy said, sighed and flopped into the chair opposite of Jean-Luc.

"Den de answer is simple mon fils." Jean-Luc looked at him. "She gave yah her number, call de girl and _ask._"

"What if Remy don' want to know?" Remy crossed his arms. "Remy don' wan' to give her de satisfaction of knowin' she's gettin' to him."

Theoren lifted his head at that as Emil guffawed and it looked like Etienne was choking on his laughter. Henri covered his eyes with his hand and Mercy shook her head.

Jean-Luc didn't look phased. "Then yah'll have to be content wit' not knowin'."

Mercy examined her manicure. "Ah'm interested in what she'll do next if Remy don' call her."

Remy's eyes bugged a bit. "But-"

Etienne coughed and started to laugh. Mercy looked up from her nails at Remy. "Like she's gonna give up?" She asked him.

"Maybe-" Remy sunk into his chair.

"Remy, Remy." Jean-Luc muttered. He reached over and pulled the cord to summon Anastasie.

She appeared promptly in the doorway. "Monsieur?"

"De phone, s'il vous plait."

"Bien sur, monsieur." Anastasie curtsied and disappeared into another room.

Remy tucked his chin down, acutely missing the feel of his necklace against his skin. "Remy don' like head games." He muttered.

"Remy don' like ot'er people's head games dat involve him." Emil pointed out with a grin.

Anastasie returned with the phone, set it on the table next to Remy and curtsied again. Jean-Luc raised his eyebrow at Remy. Remy sighed, picked it up, using sleight of hand to bring out the Queen of Hearts with her number on it. He dialed and set it on speaker. It rang a few times before someone, her, she, picked it up on the other end.

"Allo sugar." She purred. Her voice was still as sweet as honey even over the phone.

Remy glared at it. "Who are yah, cherie and what do yah want?" He asked.

She laughed. "My name is Rogue, but yah may call me Marie if yah like." She paused and Remy could hear sea gulls crying in the background. "What's yer name, sugah?"

"Yah know my name." Remy crossed his arms.

"But we ain't been properly introduced." She said and it sounded like she was pouting.

Etienne slapped his hand over his mouth and started convulsing in his chair. Remy shot a glare at him and then one at his father as he caught Jean-Luc smiling. "Gambit," he grated out, offering his mutant call sign. "Ot'erwise known as Remy Lebeau."

"A pleasure, Remy." She said and it sounded like she actually _meant_ it. "As for what Ah want," she paused. "Is this a direct line?"

Remy looked at Jean-Luc and raised his eyebrow. Jean-Luc shrugged. Remy looked back at the phone. "Non."

"Mmm, so sad." Rogue sighed. There was a chime of bells in the background and then the distinctive beep from a telephone. "Oops. That's me, gotta run. Talk to yah later, sugah." She said and the line went dead.

Theoren gaped at the phone. "Dat were faked!"

Remy glared at it. "Well, dat did a lot of good." He muttered and glared at Jean-Luc.

Jean-Luc smiled at him. "Yah could call Marie back and ask again."

Mercy snickered. "Marie wan's his number. She gave him hers and now she wan's his in return."

Remy flushed. "Is t'is high school or somet'in'?"

Mercy sighed. "See, Remy sha, t'is is why yah have problems wit' relationships." She raised her eyebrow. "Right Papa?"

"To an extent." Jean-Luc pressed his fingertips together.

Remy glowered and sank into his seat. "Remy can so do relationships."

"Bella Donna weren't a relationship." Mercy said. "She were a catastrophe." She finished and eyed him. "Relationships call for some involvement on yer part, mon frere." She said and got up. She leaned over and kissed Henri on the cheek as she passed him.

Remy sank further down into his seat muttering.

Etienne finally regained his breath. "Ah wonder what Marie's gonna do next."

Remy flushed and groaned.

* * *

Rogue walked down the gangplank of the paddleboat with that particular bounce to her step that those who had acquired 'sea legs' even for a short time had when returning to land. She looked around the dock and smiled.

Gambit. The handle suited him for some reason that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She shrugged it away. Well, at least they'd been introduced. It was a small risk offering him her real name, but it was only her middle name and it wasn't like she had a last name for him to be digging back into. Marie was a common enough name in the States even if it was French. So, there probably wasn't any harm in it.

She headed towards the market and fingered the chain on her neck, her eyes searching for a particular stall. Now that they'd talked, perhaps it was time to up the game a little more. He'd hopefully missed his chain by now.

Rogue found the stall she was looking for, the black woman with a round face and motherly smile sitting inside it, hair smoothed back into a bun as she waited at a scarf covered table.

She caught Rogue's eyes with her dark brown ones. Rogue carefully passed her gaze onward even as she slowly made her way towards the stall, pausing to look at others filled with tourist doo dads and some actual authentic merchandise that might be worth the money. She stopped next to the stall, the black woman had to be Tante Mattie, it was the day and the time she should be here and Logan's list had been as specific about her as it had been about the smuggler.

"Tell yer fortune, honey child." Tante Mattie smiled at her.

Rogue inwardly winced, her heart felt like it was being stabbed again. She clenched her hand around the charm on her neck. She sat and couldn't manage to make herself look eager. She reached around to the back of her neck with one hand and with the other she laid the required money for the fortune on the table. She unclasped the necklace, letting it slide forward. Tante Mattie watched her, her brow furrowed.

Rogue curled the necklace on top of the money. "See that this gets to Remy." She said and stood.

"Your fortune?" Mattie asked.

Rogue's lips twisted and she glanced up at the palmistry symbol on the sign near the stall. "Ah already know my future." She said and it sounded a lot more bitter than she ever meant, but it was hard not to be bitter when _touch_ was denied to her and everything that it involved including a future that little girls built their castles in the air around, husband, kids, a home of her own. She turned and walked away. That was her fortune, to be forever alone cut off from humanity.

Mattie picked up the necklace, images of Remy flashing through her brain as soon as she touched it. She tried not to gasp. How had the girl gotten this? Mattie inhaled and set the necklace down. She reached under her table for her deck of cards and started to lay them out in front of her.

* * *

Mattie managed with some restraint not to slam the back door of the Lebeau mansion behind her as she arrived home that evening. She set her overly large purse onto her kitchen counter and fished out the necklace from one of its many pockets. She marched through the house looking for her charges that were old enough to know better.

They were still in the parlor lazily talking about whether or not they should go out that night. Remy sat in the wingback next to the fireplace, slumped downwards, legs stretched in front of him and it almost looked like he was brooding. Jean-Luc read the evening paper nearby smoking a cigarette.

Mattie marched across the parlor, the family members quieting as they noticed her. She stopped beside Remy and slammed her hand with the necklace on the table next to him. He jumped and stared at her, hair falling across his face. "Missin' somet'in' honey child?" She asked sweetly and lifted her hand up.

He glanced down at the necklace and paled. "How?"

"A broken pretty girl child wit' two white stripes in her hair gave it to me at de market today when she paid for a fortune she did not _take._" Mattie crossed her arms over her ample chest. "And just what was she doin' wit' yer necklace?"

"Marie had it." Remy's voice cracked as he spoke incredulous. There was only one point where she'd been close enough to him to even get at his necklace. "Remy t'ought Remy lost it." His eyes were wide and he picked it up. The black and silver Spade sparkled in the parlor lights.

Henri blinked. "What's dat?"

"She added a pretty charm." Mattie tapped her foot. "Remy Etienne Lebeau, answer mah question."

"Remy don' know what she was doin' wit' it. Remy don' know how she _got_ it."

Jean-Luc lowered the paper. Mattie threw her hands up. "De answer to dat is obvious, honey child. She stole it from yah, de Prince of T'ieves and yah didn't _notice_."

Remy's jaw opened and closed for a few moments and he flushed, lowering his head. Mon Dieu. "De ot'ers were dare too." He muttered.

The other young ones glared at him all at once. Remy didn't notice too busy examining the necklace running it over and over through his fingers. Relief that it had been returned to him warred with the humiliation and chagrin that she'd taken it in the first place.

"Is t'is true?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Oui, Papa." Henri said.

"Did any of you notice Marie take Remy's necklace?" Jean-Luc asked, knowing that his children and nephews would not answer without direct questions.

"Non." Henri said. He glanced at the others. They shook their heads.

"De finest T'ieves in de world-" Jean-Luc began and then ran out of coherent and socially polite language as he began to curse in a mixture of French and English. The young ones all cringed. Occasionally a legible sentence managed its way into the tirade. "One slip of a girl, too focused on t'inkin' wit' de-" he slipped back into vulgarity, "-to be focused on de rest of de world." He glared at all of them. "Out. Out! All of yah, Ah don't want to see yah 'till Ah calm down."

The young ones fled.

Mattie looked over at him. "Well, Guildmaster?"

"Tell de kidsman dat dey are fair game for de younglin's to practice on." He paused. "And do remind de kidsman dat everyt'in' is to be returned."

Mattie smiled. "At once, Guildmaster."

Jean-Luc raised his paper. "Dey take so much lookin' after." He muttered.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time on Queen's High... Rogue knows the three day rule and all the other social niceties, finally managing a face to face meeting with Remy!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Queen's High  
Chapter Six: Social Rules of Engagement**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Rogue gives Remy some peace, but not for long, and they finally set up a meeting where much to Remy's displeasure, things are revealed to be not as they appear.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. I said Tuesday, I know I said Tuesday, but I changed my mind as is my right and privilege! Apologies in advance to anyone who lives in New Orleans. I probably made a bad comparison here. I couldn't think of another one though.

_To KO11: Thank you so very much. You're making me blush here. Reviews like yours make the effort put into writing worthwhile! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. Really, it's ice cream on the cake, because I write for the fun of it. ~ PGG_

* * *

Rogue gave Remy three days to call her as she saw all the different sights there were to see around New Orleans. She avoided all his favorite spots and hangouts. She gave him three days of peace.

He didn't call. Rogue fielded increasingly irate calls from Logan and almost got trapped into talking to both the Professor and Bobby. She'd refused to answer the phone to any number she recognized after that, she wasn't taking the chance that any of them would be Bobby in disguise. The Japanese couple that ran the Dojo under the apartment she was borrowing were really kind about letting her use it if there were no classes going on. So she worked out her anger at shadow enemies and the sensei even helped her with her forms. The night after she'd seen Tante Mattie in the market, she'd finally broken down and bawled herself to sleep over losing Bobby.

She'd woken the next morning just as determined to enjoy her time in New Orleans and her new life without Bobby. She wasn't going to give him any satisfaction that she missed him.

She didn't miss him anyways. It was more what he'd represented, the chance for love despite her mutation.

It'd been a lie anyways.

She didn't miss his company. Bobby's company was overrated.

She'd finally stripped her illusions away. She was growing up, she thought, accepting life as it was instead of how she wanted it to be. She'd looked in the mirror and decided that somehow this new grown up her needed to be marked somehow. She just wasn't sure how yet.

She did more clothes shopping and made eyes at all the men who were remotely attractive, stopping by the bars Logan recommended, dancing and playing pool against clueless morons who had no idea of how dangerous she really was.

But three days later and Remy still hadn't called her. She'd stored the one phone just in case he called her on that number again. She didn't want to miss _his_ call. Every time her phone rang, her heart jumped a little. It was silly. She wasn't the least bit romantically attracted to him. It was the anticipation for the next stage of the game.

Or so she told herself.

She almost believed it.

But three days without a call, it was time to remind him of her existence before he lost interest entirely. Rogue parked her bike several blocks away and walked to the alley where the men had their daily game. The lookout's eyebrows rose as he saw her. She winked at him and entered the alley. He turned his head to watch her.

Remy leaned against the fence, eyes closed and he took a breather. The other guys played on without him a few feet away. Rogue ran her eyes down his back and smirked. The muscles on his back were as defined as the muscles on his front. Her eyes traveled downwards, glad that he wasn't one of those guys that wore their pants so loose that their boxers hung out for the world to see. His pants fit fine over his ass and she lowered her lashes, it was a fine ass. She sighed. Oh well, back to work.

She glanced around the alley, checking for exits, found one that would work and nodded. Rogue sidled up behind him and wanted to sigh again. She couldn't touch all that exposed flesh through the fence, no matter how tempting it was. He hadn't noticed her yet. She saw a few of the guys do a double take and stopped to stare. She smiled and went up on tiptoes so she could reach his ear. He was too damn tall. She groused internally but didn't let it show on her face. "What are yah waitin' for Sugah?" She murmured into his ear, and she knew she sounded a little exasperated. What did she have to do to get a man's attention?

Remy's eyes snapped open and widened. He reached up and grabbed for his necklace. Merde. He had not spent the last three days fending off the younger Guild pickpockets to have to worry about her!

She silently took a step to the side, grabbed the fire escape and went upwards. The guys who had noticed her watched. She waved at them from the top.

Remy spun to look down the alley.

Rogue disappeared over the rooftops.

He glanced up a minute too late. "Merde." He swore and let the hand that held his necklace rub his face. He'd thought he'd gotten rid of her! He heard the engine of her motorcycle rumble to life and he stared at his shoes. He closed his eyes again and thought about banging his head on the fence. "Merde. Merde. Merde." He muttered over and over.

Henri came over and draped an arm over his shoulders. "Dat is one determined femme."

"Henri, Ah am t'is close." Remy held up his fingers less than an inch apart, "From killin' somet'in'. Let Remy go or it will be yah."

Henri jumped away from him with a grin. "Desole, mon frere."

Remy spun on his heel and grabbed his shirt. "Remy needs to go blow t'in's up." He muttered. "Lots of t'in's." He pulled his shirt on and left the alley, stalking towards his own motorcycle. The guys dodged out of his way, grinning and he heard a few catcalls at his back. He flipped them the bird and mounted the Harley. Given the option he'd chase after Marie and throttle answers out of her or scream at her to leave him alone. But then Papa would beat on him for treatin' a lady poorly. He kicked the engine to life and peeled out of the alley going at a far too high rate of speed. Blowing things up sounded like a much better option. Because, he would never ever actually physically harm a woman no matter how pissed off he was at her. He was better than that.

Plus, restraining himself from throttling her might lead to sex and he didn't want to think about that too hard.

* * *

An hour later, the tingling of his power drained from his fingertips, Remy surveyed the craters in the area that Jean-Luc had let him stake out as his own personal mine field. He felt a lot calmer. He pulled out his cigarettes and hit one out of the package, slipping the Queen of Hearts with her number on it out of the package at the same time. He reached next for his lighter and stuck the cigarette between his lips and lit it. He took a deep drag and considered the card.

Maybe she'd leave him alone if he called her.

Maybe.

He looked over the blackened spots and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed her number and set it between his ear and shoulder so he could put the card away.

"Allo Remy Sugar." She drawled.

"Okay, Marie cherie, what do yah want?" He asked and took a deep drag off his cigarette.

"Is this a direct line?" She asked.

He sucked in his cheeks. "Oui." He grated out.

She hummed on the other end. "Now we have each other's numbers. How special."

Remy swore in his head. Mercy had been right. All she had wanted was his number. "What do yah want?" He bit out.

"What Ah want? That's a million dollar question ain't it?" She sounded like she was musing. She half laughed. "What Ah want right now is coffee. Café Beignet at nine AM tomorrow sound good, Sugar?"

"Bien." He said. It didn't. He wanted this over and done.

Rogue laughed at him. "Ah'll give yah a hint. It involves a lot of black leather. Au revoir." She said and hung up.

He clicked his phone shut. Black leather? He was about to kill the femme and she was taunting him with black leather? He glared at the lawn some more. Maybe he needed to blow more things up.

* * *

Rogue leaned against the balcony of her borrowed apartment and grinned at the street below. She hit her speed dial and waited until the phone stopped ringing.

"Stripes if you ever-"

"Guess what Logan, Ah've got Remy's number!" She crowed and hung up on him.

She giggled. Yeah, Logan was going to kick her ass when she got back, but it was so worth it.

* * *

_Nine AM the Next Day_

Remy approached the café the next day and tried to still the inexplicable attack of nerves. He could see Marie already seated at his favorite table. A full coffee service sat on its surface and she had her head back enjoying the sunshine a small smile on her face. Her eyes opened and she saw him. She brought her head down and turned that smile on him. His heart did a little flip. Her eyes flicked to his throat and he saw the small frown she tried to hide. He tried not to smirk at her. He'd left her charm at home on his bedside table.

He pulled out the chair across from her and sat. "Bon matin, cherie." He said.

"Bon matin, sugar." She smiled back. "Nice day we're havin', oui?" She asked as she leaned forward and poured him a cup of coffee. Her silky shirt sliding against her skin as she moved and his eyes flicked downwards until he caught what he was doing and he forced his gaze back up. Her smile turned slightly knowing. She'd dressed to entice that morning. It felt nice to see that he noticed.

"Oui." He said and he leaned back in his chair.

"It's been awfully warm this past week. Is it always this warm in New Orleans? Or am Ah just not used to Southern summers no more?" She asked.

He clenched his hand under the table. She was starting with social niceties. "It's always sticky in August." He said and tried not to growl.

She leaned back in her own chair and picked up her coffee with a gloved hand. She took a sip. "Ah was just thinkin' yesterday that Ah'd kill for a breeze. Ain't been in a place this hot since Ah left Mississippi." She glanced at him under her lashes. "Had to check out the Aquarium to get away from it. Can't believe Ah forgot there can be such a thin' as too much of a good thin'." She sighed and took a sip of her coffee.

He picked up his cup. "De Aquarium is nice."

"Ah liked the Botanical Gardens better." She shrugged. "It's a pretty bit of city yah got here, sort of like Brooklyn but nicer." She glanced around.

"Yah from de North, Cherie?"

"Not intentionally, went for an adventure and somehow never made it back home." She glanced down into her cup. "Not that home was a good place to be at the time, mind yah." She shrugged. "Met this man on my trip and he took me under his wing." She tilted her head and shifted, her shirt moving with her. "Yah know him Ah think."

"Doubt it. Don' know dat many Northerners cherie. Try to avoid dem if at all possible." He said and tried not to glance at her shirt and thus her chest. It annoyed him that he was falling for her ploys so _easily._

"Well, he didn't mention if yah were _close._ He's kind of close mouthed like that, cranky, always up for a fight, likes pool and poker, smokes big cigars, drives motorcycles when he can." She trailed off. Her lips twitched. "Reads Walden in his spare time."

He stared at her. It couldn't be. She couldn't know… it was just not possible.

She held up a hand and he noticed the gloves went up and under the short sleeves of her blouse. She fisted it and held it out straight and turned it several ways. His stomach curdled. Yeah, he knew someone that held his hands like that when he fought. "Yah sure yah don' know him. He was pretty specific, Le Diable Blanc, wanted me to give yah a message." She reached behind her and pulled a glossy folded paper out of the pocket of her jacket. She set it on the table between them.

He glanced down at it. It read 'Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.'

When he glanced up, Marie had been replaced with Rogue. He didn't know why but he could feel there was a difference. She eyed him as one soldier eyed another. Yeah, she knew Logan. "He's found a place here." She rested a finger on the brochure. "We're in need of good folk and he wants yah on the team." She raised her eyebrow. "The X-Men."

He'd heard of the X-Men. He didn't want to believe half of what he'd heard about them. They were good all right, if even half of what he heard was true. He wasn't sure he wanted to accept it completely as the rumor mill could be unreliable. She continued speaking.

"The catch is yah will have to teach at the school. There's no getting' around it. We're low on teachers and there are kids that show up every day. They need educations so everyone pitches in. School first, save the world second. Don't worry about bein' certified or anythin'. Don' matter at Xavier's. No one is willin' to look o'er our shoulders." Her lips twisted. "For the best really."

Remy's brain finally caught up with the conversation. "Yah mean, none of t'is was _personal_ cherie?" He wasn't sure if he was relieved or insulted.

Rogue disappeared as fast as she showed up and Marie sat across from him again. Her face twisted into a mask of grief and his empathy was slammed with an overwhelming stab of deep emotional pain and despair that left him reeling. A stray breeze blew strands from one her white stripes across her face. "Oh sugar, Ah only wish." She whispered, eyes closing and he saw a tear form at the base of one eye. He reached out but she reached up and caught it before he could touch her.

Her eyes opened, old and filled with pain and she stood. He could still feel the despair that she had masked so carefully behind amusement. "Coffee's all paid for." She nodded at the brochure. "Yah think about it." She gathered her coat, putting it on as she walked away.

He stared after her, not understanding. He pulled the brochure over to him and opened it. A card fell out of it, the circled X on one side and a note in French on the other, but it was the sigil at the end that made him pause, a lightning bolt.

Stormy.

Ororo was at Xavier's.

He glanced back up. Marie had disappeared into the crowd. She knew _both_ Logan and Stormy. He picked up Storm's note and read it through. He looked over the brochure afterwards.

He needed to talk to Papa. This put a whole new complexion on things. No wonder she'd known so much about him and his ways.

He scowled and glared after her. Merde. His heart hurt a little bit. She hadn't been after _him._ And that stung. He grumbled. She needed to work on her signals. She'd sent him _roses _and the entire suit of Hearts, the love suit.

He gathered up the brochure and the note and got up, then thought about running. Henri was going to laugh hysterically over this. Remy refrained from a whimper. It would be so much _easier_ if Marie were interested in him and not leading him on to offer him a _place_ on the _X-Men._

Mercy's reaction didn't bear thinking about.

* * *

Mercy shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. She smiled at Remy back in the wingback chair near the fireplace. "See Remy, it ain't always about yah."

Henri had managed to keep a straight face until that point. He looked at Mercy and then fell out of his chair laughing. It became a chain reaction among the cousins and Remy felt his face heat.

Emil managed to speak between gasps for air. "She manipulated yah perfectly."

"Set yah all up and then bam." Theoren added, hitting the edge of his seat.

Remy scowled. "Shut up."

Etienne howled in laughed. "Remy got played."

Henri struggled upwards. "So how does it feel mon frere to feel what de femmes feel about yah?"

Remy's face burned and he looked into the fireplace. It would help if Marie weren't so beautiful sitting there in the sunlight bringing out the strands of red in her hair. He cleared his throat. "Papa, advice?"

"Yah reap what yah sow, mon fils."

The others laughed harder, Mercy finally joining in.

Remy didn't know he could flush that hot. "Not about _Marie._ About de X-Men."

Jean-Luc sighed. "Ah can't tell yah one way or de ot'er. Yah were de one invited to join, not me. Yah are de mutant Remy. Yah are gonna have to make yer own decision about t'is one."

Tante Mattie spoke up from her chair. "Follow yer heart, honey child."

Remy surged to his feet and left the room, eyes on his feet. That was the problem. Henri and the others sometimes mocked him, saying he didn't have a heart. Remy couldn't help but think it was true. He went through so many women without being touched emotionally by them and Mercy had a point, his relationship with Bella had been a disaster. And if he did have a heart, it was so rusty from disuse he didn't know if he could get it working again.

The worst part he was sure that in some part of her being, Marie wanted him on that personal level and he couldn't figure out just what was holding her back. And he didn't know what he would do if whatever it was, wasn't.

The confusion and humiliation swirled together into annoyance and the X-Men became the furthest thing from his mind in favor for a belle femme with deep red lips that begged to be kissed to push that pain away.

Even if it was only for a moment.

* * *

Rogue folded clothes and arranged them in the duffle that would fit into the seat of her bike. Tears pooled at the bottom of her eyes and she reached up to wipe them away, her gloves long thrown to the side.

She hadn't expected him to be so shocked about it not being about him. He hadn't been wearing the charm she gave him and well, she just hadn't expected him to be attracted to her. He'd barely seen her after all.

Her breath hitched. It wasn't fair. She'd just broken up with an asshole and she really hadn't been looking for another relationship. She'd resigned herself to being single and alone due to her mutation.

But he'd seemed so stunned and maybe, maybe a little disappointed.

Maybe things had gotten a little out of hand, she hadn't meant to lead him on but she'd been having so much fun forgetting about her pain. He was just some random stranger, a handsome random stranger. For God's sake, she hadn't even been having any fantasies about him and no clothes and long touches.

Well, not too many fantasies, she'd been busy.

Okay, so there had been one or two. He'd been the one showing off his ripped muscles and smooth skin. And she still liked to consider herself a normal young woman with hormones, wants, needs and desires.

But-

Her skin felt dead anymore, she'd almost forgotten what a real touch _felt_ like. She swallowed hard. All she'd wanted was his undivided attention, so maybe she'd gone a little overboard and-

Too many damn maybes.

She sat down on the bed and slumped down putting her face in her hands. She didn't know Remy. She didn't know anything about what he was like. For all she knew he deserved what she'd just done to him. So why did she care so much about his feelings?

He wouldn't touch her if he knew. He wouldn't want to be close or kiss her. He'd give her that foot of space that everyone else did. Even Logan braced himself before hugging her as if despite the fact she was covered from neck to toes and so was he but some skin might just touch and she'd absorb him again for the twentieth (she thought she was at twenty) time.

It still wasn't fair. It still wasn't right. Remy wasn't supposed to fall for her, damn it.

And Rogue knew that she'd do it all over again in a heartbeat, just to see him smile.

She wasn't supposed to fall for him and his beautiful eyes and charming smile and silky voice. She groaned. She was a grown up now. She'd go back to New York and he'd be here in New Orleans and he'd forget all about her and go after some woman (or series of women) he could touch. Not that he knew he couldn't touch her. Rogue half laughed, not that it should make any difference. And she'd be an old maid and maybe she'd get cats and despite her mutation and sometimes because of it, she could still kick ass and take names.

And if she wasn't happy, well she hadn't been happy since Cody David Robbins had fallen over onto her bed and his mind had ended up inside of hers, she could at least try for content.

But just for the moment, just for the moment, she'd forget that she was supposed to be a grown up now and cry for what couldn't be. She could be an adult again in an hour.

Damn him and his pretty eyes anyhow.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand it's pure cupboard love!)_

_Next time on Queen's High... Rogue has one last message for Remy, Julien tries his hand at flirting and Remy makes his decision._


	7. Chapter 7

**Queen's High  
Chapter Seven: Excessive Use of Force**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Rogue's mission to recruit Remy is done, and she's got one message left to give him before she leaves, plus, Julien tries his hand at flirting.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink.

Rogue entered Remy's favorite bar feeling much better than she had earlier that day. After a few more tears, her conscience had kicked in reminded her that some things in life, barring her mutation, were her own damn fault and that leading Remy on hadn't been a kind thing to do even in the name revenge against the male gender. By the time she'd finished packing all her new clothes into her bag, the resolve to do better had turned into annoyance that he'd taken it so seriously. Men were idiots and idiots, like Remy, that assumed that the world revolved around them deserved what they got. In point in fact, womanizers that broke their word and betrayed their partner or went with woman after woman without any intention to commit ever deserved it doubly.

Besides, Remy should have _known_ something fishy was up. What woman actually did what she had done to become romantically involved with a man? The ridiculousness of it amused her.

In this frame of mind, Rogue found Remy as easily as she had every other time she'd come to the bar. She smiled and nodded at the bartender. He grinned back at her and winked. Rogue crossed the room towards Remy's turned back. He was a creature of habit, she decided. Or, he didn't think he'd ever see her again. She slipped between the patrons keeping out of Remy's sight.

She didn't notice a group of men in another corner grinning at each other over their drinks. She wouldn't have cared if she had. It was normal behavior for young men in bars.

Rogue placed a hand on Remy's shoulder.

Remy jumped, grabbed her wrist and twisted in his seat his eyes wide. He relaxed when he saw it was Marie. Merde. She _had_ to stop sneaking up on him. She smirked at him and raised her eyebrow in silent inquiry. He smiled a bit sheepish. Julien was back in town and he'd become a bit jumpy. Remy adjusted his grip and held her hand instead. Her eyes flicked to his neck.

Rogue wanted to sigh. He wasn't wearing the charm. And she'd chosen it special for him. Oh well. He probably wasn't going to come anyways. She shouldn't use whether or not he was wearing the charm as a sign of if he was going to join the team. She shouldn't have bought it anyways. It was just a job. Hadn't she been saying that to Logan the entire time? It was a job. She shouldn't have spent her well, and sometimes, hard earned money teaching at the school on a handsome stranger.

Though it wasn't like she had anyone else to spend it on, at least not anymore.

Granted, Bobby rarely spent his money on her. So it hadn't occurred to her to try and spend money on him. So, why she suddenly decided to spend her money on Remy, she couldn't figure out and now was not the time to be thinking about it.

She wished he'd just wear the stupid expensive little thing. It wasn't going to hurt him.

His eyes narrowed as her disappointment washed over his empathy and was quickly followed with a muddle of emotions he couldn't decipher.

Rogue smiled at him. "Ah'm leavin' in the mornin'. If yah decide yah are interested and wanna head up with me, Ah'll wait for yah on I-59 North, Mississippi Welcome Center. Can't miss it. Ah'll stick around 'til ten." She disengaged her hand and brushed his jaw with the back of her fingers. He wouldn't come, but she had to try. "Au revoir, sugar." She dropped her hand back to her side and headed back towards the door, the hem of her coat swishing about her calves.

Remy stared after her. There was his one chance to ask what the _hell_ had been going on the past few days and what exactly she'd _meant_ by it all and he couldn't get a word in edgewise. He twisted back into his seat and slumped downwards, cards no longer important. It figured. She'd come to see him and gave him a nicely prepared little message and he wasn't able to figure out something to say, even her _name_ before she was walking towards the door. He wasn't running after her. He wasn't going to be a fool over some woman.

Even when not knowing was driving him insane.

Even when the woman had dark red lips that begged to be kissed, hair that looked softer than silk and skin-

Henri interrupted his musings. "Remy." He said in a low tone, a warning tone.

Remy straightened and glanced over his shoulder. His gut clenched. In the middle of the floor, Marie had been stopped by Julien. Remy couldn't move and dread filled him. Julien, the son of Marius, head of the Assassin's Guild, and one Remy couldn't get in a fight with at all costs.

Julien smiled at Marie.

Remy wanted to punch him.

"Ah haven't ever seen yah here before, Sha." Julien said smoothly to her.

Rogue met his eyes squarely and cocked her hip. "Then yah must have been out of town or not payin' attention."

"Yah are so belle, how could a homme not pay attention to yah."

Half her mouth crooked up. "Thank yah."

"Let me by yah a drink, Sha." Julien smiled.

She flicked her eyes up and down his body. She may not be able to touch folks, but she knew all about what accepting a drink from a man meant. She hadn't a clue who this guy was and she really didn't care. He reminded her a bit of Bobby, blonde hair full of hair product, bright blue eyes and far too much confidence. She smiled politely. "Ah'm sorry, Peaches. No thanks. Ah was just leavin'."

"But yah just got here."

Rogue tried not to sound like a teacher, but it was difficult. He was acting like one of her students, which put him at the mental age of maybe twelve. Somehow, it didn't surprise her. "And now Ah'm leavin'." She said.

Remy relaxed a bit and glanced over at Theoren. Rogue seemed to have it well in hand. Theoren shook his head and they settled back to watch the show.

"One drink, Sout'ern Hospitality." Julien made a gesture towards the bartender. Rogue met the bartender's eyes and gave a quick shake of her head. Gascon kept still, unsure of who to listen to, the Lady or the Assassin.

"No thanks. Ah know all about Sout'ern Hospitality." She tilted her head. One drink led to two drinks, two drinks led to three and the end result between a man and a woman was supposed to be a bed and a distinct lack of clothing.

"But how can Ah get to know a belle femme like yah if yah won't let me buy yah a drink?" He asked.

Rogue's lips twitched. The answer to that question was so obvious that she wasn't sure if she wanted to answer it directly. "Ah don' know, Peaches. How do yah?" She asked and raised an eyebrow. Julien grinned at her, thinking that he'd gotten in a point. Rogue smirked and leaned forward. "Ah do know those hormones yah are exudin', they're called pheromones and they ain't workin'. Go try someone else."

Remy bit his tongue to keep from laughing.

"They wouldn't be as sweet as yah." Julien tried again. "One drink."

Rogue lowered her lashes. This fellow had no idea of whom he was tangling with. She was Rogue and one did not mess with her, ever. "No." She said finally. She moved to the side to go past him. "Night, Peaches."

Julien grabbed her arm. Remy froze.

The suppressed anger she'd been putting off surged to the fore of her brain. He was _touching_ her like he had a right. No one touched her, no one. Logan growled in her head. She'd said no, repeatedly and she did not _like_ to be touched. She didn't look at him or even give up her smile as she switched their grips and twisted and yanked. The move was so practiced it was instinctual. The sharp snapping sounds of his bones were pure music to her ears. Julien might have screamed in pain if she hadn't spun and clocked him under the jaw with her other fist, her hair flying. Julien's eyes rolled up in his head as he fell. She let go of his arm before he hit the floor.

Remy's jaw dropped. Mon Dieu.

Rogue glared at the man's downed body. She'd said no. Her lip curled in disgust. Logan and her other psyches knew something about men like him. Some of her psyches were men like him. She'd known that absorbing Sabretooth that one time had been a bad idea.

Silence fell over the bar. The Thieves were unsure what to do, too stunned and approving of the action. The innocent bystanders looked confused or amused. The Assassins were shocked that a girl had taken out their Prince.

A chair scraped and one guy stood up. Remy glanced at him and swore. It was one of Julien's buddies, someone so loyal they were stupid. But it started a wave of men shoving their chairs back and coming to surround Marie. Remy glanced at her and changed his mind. It was Rogue, the soldier, standing over Julien. One guy grabbed his body and pulled Julien out of the way.

Rogue's eyes moved glancing at each of the guys surrounding her. Remy noticed that none were older than mid-twenties. He did a quick check of the place. The older Assassins' kept their seats. Smart enough to know that one didn't go after a fighter of unknown capabilities or they knew that Rogue wasn't part of the other Guild and so figured it was none of their business.

Remy clenched his fists. He wanted to get up and help her. He wanted to defend her. She didn't deserve, he did a quick tally, six or seven to one odds. Julien had been an asshole, like he usually was, and deserved the put down. But, they were all Assassins and he didn't dare interfere.

Plus, she hadn't asked for help, hadn't even looked at him.

Rogue turned her head slightly to each side finding the ones behind her in her peripheral vision. She grinned, eyebrows rising and showing her teeth. It was slightly psychotic. Remy's palms began to sweat. He recognized that grin. It was something that she had to have picked up from Logan. Logan wore that smile at the beginning of a fight as if to say 'all right, bring it on suckers, come get your pain.' This did not bode well for the Assassins.

Rogue relaxed all her muscles and waited. If they wanted to stick up for their asshole of a buddy, fine. She'd been itching for a fight for days. She curled her fists. Maybe they thought they could put one over on her, but she had ears and she'd been in enough group fights to know the signs of someone preparing to attack.

She stepped to the side as the guy behind her moved forward to punch her. She stuck out her leg and tripped him so he stumbled in his buddies. The smile didn't leave her face. Logan in a bad mood had nothing on her. She spun on her other foot, swinging the one that'd tripped the guy around, building up momentum. She punched the guy who the first guy had been a distraction for in the stomach.

Remy winced.

Customers at tables nearby dove out of the way, towards the edges of the bar or out the door.

She pulled her arm back, elbowing the next guy in the nose. She ducked under the punch of another guy and stepped on someone's instep. She stood back up, grabbed the guy who'd punched at her and tugged him forward. He staggered forward into her raised knee.

Rogue fought dirty. One movement led into the other and she wasn't afraid to be physical. She used her enemies against each other and made her blows count. One of them managed to land a blow. She rocked back and then returned it, double.

Remy couldn't tear his eyes away. It was obvious she knew what she was doing. When one guy grabbed her around the neck, she used her feet to ward off one of the other guys before using the first guy as a fulcrum to spin about and slam him into the ground, her knees shoving into his back. Two guys charged her and Rogue surged to her feet, flipping out of the way, and landing on a table, she flipped again, grabbing the edge of it. She swung underneath it and slid back out, pivoting on her hands and kicking one of the guys in the small of the back. The other tried kicking her. She rolled out of the way, grabbed the leg and tugged, one hand coming out, straight like a knife and hitting the side of his knee. Something popped.

He screamed and fell.

Rogue rolled, arched her body and sprang to her feet.

Remy had known she was beautiful, but mon Dieu, she was beautiful. The way her body moved. He was having a hard time not drooling.

She twisted her upper body and dodged a punch. A knife flashed in her peripheral vision.

Someone at Remy's table swore and he couldn't take the attention to figure out whom it was.

Rogue's eyes narrowed and she grabbed the arm of the guy who was punching her, swung around to his back, pulling it with her. She tugged pulling it out of socket and kicked his legs out from under him. His mouth opened in pain and she clocked him on top of the head with her fist. She used her boot to shove him forward and kept her eyes on the guy with the knife.

He switched it from hand to hand grinning.

She grinned back. She regularly fought _Logan._ The guy with knives coming out between his knuckles that he couldn't put down. One knife wasn't going to scare her. She twisted again, placing her hand on the downed guy's head and kicking the guy behind her in the jaw with one foot, the other swinging behind her. He fell, jaw broken. She landed off to the side and stepped forward into the range of the guy with the knife.

He swung and she dodged to the side. He smirked and switched hands with the knife. He slashed at her again. She spun around on her toes and came up behind him. She punched him three times along his spine. He stumbled away from her. She spun again and threw the guy coming at her over her body. He landed on his back behind her. The guy holding the knife turned and she pivoted and kicked his wrist. The fingers opened and the knife dropped to the floor, clattering. She retracted her leg, but the guy on the floor grabbed her base leg and tugged.

She fell backwards. She used her hands behind her head to catch her body. She flexed her arms and twisted her foot around in his hand, jerking it. He let go and she somersaulted backwards. She saw the guy headed for the knife. Rogue surged forward, kicking the knife out of the area of the fight and grabbing the guy's grasping hand by his wrist. She jerked it up and snapped a couple of his fingers with her other hand. His knees gave away. She punched him in the nose. She dropped him as he fell to the floor holding his face.

The other guy got to his feet slowly while one more circled her. She walked over to the one guy and grabbed his hair. She jerked his head back and swung her hand around in an open slap. His head turned and the sound of leather hitting flesh was loud in the room. She dropped him and his chin hit her knee.

She stepped back and sidestepped towards the final guy. One of the guys that she'd already taken down surged to his feet and at the same the other guy charged. Rogue set her feet and instead of backing away like she knew they expected her to do, she punched one and then twisted getting the other partially crouching. They fell.

She stood, arms outstretched. She brought them around in a circle and pressed her palms together, inhaling and then breathing out. She let them fall to her sides and cracked her neck, stretching it from side to side, closing her eyes. She smirked, opened them and looked over at Remy meeting his eyes.

Even if he'd known what to say, he wouldn't have been able to say it. So few people were able to meet his eyes as it was, but Rogue's gaze was still filled with the primal wildness of her fight. He wasn't sure if he should be congratulating her, whispering French endearments or begging to join her in that primal dance. So, Remy, for once in his life, kept his mouth shut.

"Ah'll be waitin' Sugar." She said. She spun on her heel and reached into her pocket, pulling out a wad of bills. She tossed it to Gascon. "Sorry about the mess." She said and it came out in Logan's Canadian accent.

As she approached the door, the knife lay in her path. She slipped the toe of her boot under it and tossed it upwards. The knife twisted in the air and she caught it, sliding it up her sleeve.

Bella Donna took a step forward to intercept her. Rogue turned her head and kept moving. She let Logan and Sabretooth show behind her eyes. Bella Donna stopped. Rogue smiled, shoved the door open and vanished out onto the street.

The door banged shut.

Bella Donna spun on her heel and put her hands on her hips. "Who de hell was dat?" She shouted at Remy.

Remy leaned back and tilted his head. "Dat, Remy t'inks, is Logan's best student." He said.

"Dat don' answer mah question, Rems." Bella glared at him.

"What Remy knows ain't gonna help yah, Bella." Henri said. "Best search t'eir pockets jus' in case de money de dangerous femme gave Gascon ain't enough to cover de damage."

Bella turned her glare onto Henri. "Stay out of Assassin business, Henri."

"Dat femme ain't T'ief or Assassin." Remy stood up. "Yah jus' leave her alone, Bella."

"And what are yah gonna do about it?" Bella sneered at him. "She hurt Julien. Assassins have honor."

"And den eight of yer men stood up for yer honor and she flattened dem." Remy glanced down at them, a few groaning as they got to their feet. "Julien grabbed her, cherie. She told him no more t'an once and he insisted on steppin' in it."

Emil leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "Finally stepped on somet'in' dat bit back, dat's all."

Bella gritted her teeth. "It was excessive."

"But beautiful." Etienne said with a grin. "Ah shall fore'er remember Julien's eyes rollin' up in his head as dat belle femme got him wit' a glorious uppercut."

"Etienne." Henri rebuked him in a low voice.

Etienne grinned and didn't look the least bit abashed.

Remy met Bella's eyes and tried to grab the uncertainty radiating off of her. He had to convince her that going after Rogue would be far more trouble than it was worth. Going after Rogue would bring down Logan upon them all. No one hurt one of Logan's charges. He restrained a shudder at the images of carnage that ran through his mind. "Let it go, cherie. Don' bite off more dan yah can chew."

Bella's eyes narrowed. "What's dat supposed to mean, chere?"

Remy glanced down at one of the guys still out of it. "De man who trained her says dat dare is one t'in' dat he does well, and it ain't nice. Yah go after her. He'll come after yah and he won' stop." He looked up at Bella. "For de sake of Dieu, let it go. Remy don' wan' to see yah dead. She don' know not'in' about de Guilds, he was just an obnoxious guy to her."

Bella pressed her lips together. She looked at Julien and then at the guys lying around on the floor. She looked back at Remy. "Fine. Mon frere can be annoyin'."

Theoren snorted and tugged his hat down further over his eyes as Bella glared at him.

Emil's incredulous, "Can?" echoed through the room.

Etienne kicked him.

Bella's glare was scathing. Emil rolled his eyes. She gestured to another member of her Guild. "Get dem cleaned up and call de doctor, dose bones need splintin'."

"Oui, Altesse." The Guild member said and bowed.

Remy picked up his coat off the chair and swung it around his shoulders. "Merci, Bella." He walked over the few men who were still down, carefully stepping over them. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to the knuckles. "Sleep sweetly, cherie."

She rolled her eyes, but grinned at him. "Bonne nuit, Remy."

He winked at her and left the bar. He needed to go home and talk to Papa.

* * *

Emil leaned forward to watch the screen of the television, his eyes bright. "And again, Marie says no. Den t'ere is de snarky comment and a go away, den no again. And here is my favorite part, Julien grabs her and bam." Emil clapped his hands.

Jean-Luc's lips twisted upwards in amusement as Julien fell to the floor.

"Den bam and bam and bam again and rest." Emil finished. "Magnifique." He shook his head. "Wanna watch it again, Oncle?"

Jean-Luc waved his hand. "Ah've seen what Ah need to see, Emil."

Emil pouted and started it again anyways, eyes glued to the screen. Jean-Luc turned his head. Remy leaned against the fireplace, his eyes also on the screen, a poker chip weaving through his fingers. He almost vibrated with intensity watching Marie fight. Jean-Luc pressed the tops of his fingers together, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair. "Well, Remy?"

"She barely broke a sweat." Remy flicked his eyes to his father and then back to the screen.

Jean-Luc tilted his head. His son wanted something. He just couldn't tell if his son wanted to fight the woman or the woman herself. He tried to train his Thieves as best as he could so they would be able to survive the attacks of the Assassins. "Logan is a good trainer t'en, mon fils." He said.

"Oui." Remy breathed. "Yah wouldn't t'ink it if yah met him. Logan is one scary." He stopped talking. Jean-Luc might be able to trail off into profanity, but he did not approve of it in his children. "He's dangerous." Remy amended.

"And he's wit' de X-Men." Jean-Luc nodded. "At t'is school for mutants." Jean-Luc smiled. There was only one way that he could see that Remy would be able to figure out what he wanted or even whether or not he wanted the belle charmante Marie. "Go." He said.

Remy's head jerked towards him. The poker chip stilled. "Papa?"

"Ah want yah to go and train under t'is Logan, teach at de school." Jean-Luc smiled. "It will be good for yah. Den, bring dese new skills back to teach de T'ieves."

The others turned their heads to stare at them.

Mercy smirked. "She's waitin' for yah, Rems."

Remy inhaled, glanced at the screen. "Remy best not keep her."

Jean-Luc nodded at the screen. "Or else, t'ink about what she can do to yah."

Remy ducked his head and grinned. "Oui, Papa." He almost ran out the door.

Henri waited until he was sure Remy was up the stairs and out of earshot. "Mon Dieu," He muttered. "He's so in love."

"Finally." Mercy added.

The rest of the young ones broke into laughter. On the screen, Marie kept taking down Assassins unnoticed.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand it's pure cupboard love)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Remy meets up with Rogue on the road, but after Rogue changes her mind about something, leaving Remy very confused._


	8. Chapter 8

**Queen's High  
Chapter Eight: Terms of Endearment**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Rogue's mission to recruit a certain Cajun is complete and it's time to head back 'home.' Remy arrives at the rendezvous after Rogue has changed her mind about something, leaving him very confused.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink.

Rogue lay on her back on top of a picnic table, legs bent and knees crossed as she absorbed the morning sun.

Remy wasn't going to come, she was certain of it. Why would he? He had family, friends, and a good place in New Orleans. If she'd had something that good, she'd never have left home. So, she mentally prepared herself, he wasn't going to come. But she'd said she'd wait and wait she would. Then ten would roll around and she'd maybe wait a little longer battling disappointment before heading north and back to Xavier's and the deadly dull routine of life (interspersed with moments of sheer terror) where she had to face Bobby and his little gang of admirers. She scowled.

How long had it been since she got out anyways?

She thought back and tried to think of a time she'd gone out to someplace new and exciting when it wasn't on a mission to save mutants or kill/hinder those trying to hurt mutants. Her mind came up blank. She couldn't remember a single one time, not since she'd left Meridian with too little money and the goal to go have her big adventure despite it. Rogue snorted. Yeah, she'd had adventure all right; truckers, truck stops and smoky bars weren't really that fun. Dangerous? Sure, especially since she'd been sixteen, but adventurous and fun? Not so much.

And if Remy wasn't going to come, her job was done. She didn't have to bend to Logan's rules or expectations and go back home immediately. Logan wasn't here. She had a ride and money. She was in charge of her own route and person in a way that she hadn't been since that first terrifying escape from her humdrum town. Rogue reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out her phone. Between here and Xavier's there had to be something fun to do. She switched over to the Internet and began to browse.

Anyways, it was far too late and far too out of her way to head to Sturgis. Logan would kill her if she headed out to South Dakota this close to the school year starting. She sighed and looked over her route on Google Maps and then began to do a search for tourist attractions. Even though she really _wanted_ to go to Sturgis, the thought of all those motorcycles in one place made her want to drool and bounce on her toes in anticipation.

But she wasn't going to be able to go this year.

Drat.

(It was all Bobby's fault. She had brought it up, but he hadn't wanted to go with her and made noises about being lonely. So, she'd been the good girlfriend and did the stupid thing and put him first.)

It was past time she had a little fun, and not in the whole taunting men sort of way. Taunting men was fun but eventually paled due to the fact taunting was as far as she could go. She pushed thoughts of that out of her mind. Fun, innocent fun that she'd been missing out on, places she wanted to see and hadn't taken the time. She started to compile a list and changed her route on Google Maps accordingly.

Remy or no Remy, she would enjoy herself to the hilt.

And maybe she'd still taunt a guy or two, you know, just to keep her hand in.

* * *

Remy slowed as he pulled into the Mississippi Welcome Center off of I-59. He still had time. There was at least another hour or maybe half an hour left before she said she would leave. He hoped she'd waited. She said she would but-

He breathed out in relief as he saw a green Suzuki and nearby, laying on top of a table, her coat like a blanket and hair spread out around her head, Marie, phone in her hands. He parked his bike next to hers, kicked the stand down and dismounted, taking off his sunglasses. He tucked them away, walking over to her and placed his hands on the edge of the table next to her head.

"Bonjour, cherie." He said, looking down at her.

Her eyes jerked away from her phone and met his. She grinned. "Allo Cajun." She replied. He raised his eyebrows at her. She squirmed a bit and then explained. "Well, yah are from New Orleans and yah speak French. It's a natural conclusion." She shrugged.

"Ouias." He wasn't sure about how he felt about her not calling him Sugar like she had always done. He furrowed his brow. "And what is Remy supposed to call yah?"

Her lips twitched. "Rogue or Marie."

He sighed. "When yah call Remy, Cajun?" He clarified.

She tilted her head. "Well, Ah can't help yah. Ah'm a person of indeterminate origin." She shrugged again. "Most folk can say 'Ah'm French,' or Irish or German. Ah don' remember and ain't no one left of mah kin left to tell me. So. Can't help yah," she paused and smirked at him. "Cajun."

He sighed. "Very mignon, Mississippi."

"Merci. Ah think so, Louisiana."

"Remy will come up wit' somet'in'." He muttered. He glanced at her phone. "Whatcha doin', cherie?"

She grinned. "The internet is a wonderful invention, sugar. Yah can get right to yer phone now." She waved it at him and then shut it. She glanced at his neck and blinked. He was wearing the charm she'd given him on his necklace. The black spade flashed as the sun hit it. She reached up and caught it in its swing.

Remy grinned at her. She'd called him sugar and noticed the charm. "Oui, cherie?"

"Yah are wearin' it." She said and flushed. She let it go quickly. It had been just silly little impulse. It didn't _mean_ anything. "Ready to go?"

"Yah didn't answer Remy's question." He said. He didn't know if he should tell her the reason he was wearing the charm. Earlier, he'd been annoyed with her and so left it at home, now he wasn't. So, he was wearing it. He didn't know how she would take that explanation. He'd left her roses in the front hall so everyone could enjoy them. Mercy had threatened to send them with his things. He'd threatened to make a special trip back to pummel her in a fair bo staff match if she did. He'd planned to leave earlier, but everyone in the famille had been full of teary good byes and _advice._ Mon Dieu had they been full of advice.

She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the table. "Which one? Yah ask so many Ah forget them all." She smirked at him.

He glanced at her phone. "De internet?"

The smirk turned into a grin. "Ah got bored waitin' on yah. Yah took so _long_." She glanced at his bike and then wolf whistled, turning her full attention to it. "Not that yah will have any problem keepin' up now that yah are here." She turned her head and fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Ah like yer Harley, sugar."

"Merci, t'en why don' yah have one, cherie?" He held out a hand to help her down from the table. She looked at it a moment before taking it, as if she'd forgotten that males could have manners. She stepped off of the table bench and onto the ground.

"'Cause everyone else who rides at the mansion does." Rogue said and looked at her Suzuki. "Ah needed to be able to remember which bike was mine so that no one else could use it." She rolled her eyes, letting go of his hand. "Hide yer keys well."

"Remy will remember."

She put her phone away and zipped up her coat. "How far do yah think yah can go before we need to stop for gas?"

"On what Remy has, 'bout hundred miles, maybe a little more." He shrugged. "Two hundred is de most Remy would stretch it."

Rogue grimaced. She knew far too well the results of trying to stretch a tank of gas. "Let's not press our luck ever." She said. His bike sounded like it had the same fuel capacity as hers, which was good. She could rely on using her gauge to know when to pull over.

He nodded. "So, every hundred, hundred fifty miles t'en. Less if we head up wit' more speed t'an necessary."

Rogue bit her lip and glanced at him as she straddled her bike. "Oh, well, Ah wasn't worried about doin' that on the way _back._" She said. His brow furrowed and he looked at her but she didn't elaborate. Logan was an impatient person. Remy should know this. Plus, she didn't want to talk about the mood she'd been in on the way down. She grinned at him. "Just keep up, Cajun." She pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her pocket and put them on.

"Bebe, try to lose Remy." He said with a smirk. He slipped his sunglasses back on. She mouthed the word bebe at him and he didn't lose his smirk. She finally looked upwards at the sky, sighed and shrugged.

They started their engines with a roar, Rogue grinned at him, backed out and they started on their way.

* * *

Two hours later, Rogue's mind felt torn in two. Large green signs with their bright white letters said that they were rapidly approaching Meridian, Mississippi. She bit her lip and tried not to think about the idea of going home.

It wasn't that she didn't think about it. She did, a lot. She wondered how her foster parents were and did they miss her and were they still looking for her. Or did they think she was dead? And what would they do if she knocked on the door.

She'd forgotten that Meridian was on I-59. On the way down it'd been so late and she'd been going so fast that the signs hadn't even registered in her mind.

Five miles, two miles, one…

She could just hit her turn signal, turn off, drive down that familiar road and…

No.

She was a mutant and they had been so damn afraid not even thinking about the fact she was far more terrified than any of them. All they had to do was not touch her. She had to live with David's memories in her head and theirs if they forgot. They all had forgotten at least once.

Then, she was riding a motorcycle in the company of a young man. They wouldn't approve at all.

They wouldn't approve of her clothes or the fact she could punch a guy out without blinking an eye. They wouldn't approve of Xavier or Logan or anything.

No.

The exit for Meridian came up and she blew right past it.

* * *

Remy followed Rogue faithfully. It'd been four and a half hours to Birmingham and Remy wasn't stupid. He'd checked the route back to Westchester. I-59 to 24, 24 to 75, 75 to 40, 40 to 81 and after that was a messy tangle. It'd be easier if there were a direct route from New York to New Orleans, but there wasn't. However, at Birmingham, Rogue had turned on I-20 east and according to the signs, highways had a lot of handy signs, I-20 east led eventually to Atlanta. They should still have been on 59 going north.

To say he was confused was putting it mildly. He wondered if this was a common thing when a person was around Marie. Unfortunately, he didn't have Logan or Ororo's numbers to call up and ask. Perhaps, he should have gotten them at some point just so he could ask a few pertinent questions about Marie and her tendency to drive men like him crazy.

He sat on his confusion and questions until they pulled over in Leeds to fill their tanks. She went inside to get or do something and Remy moved away from the pumps and pulled out a cigarette. He smoked in silence and watched traffic go by on the highway.

He glanced over when Rogue joined him, holding out a cup of coffee.

"Merci, cherie." He said and took it.

She smiled and raised her own to her lips. "Yah are welcome, sugar."

He took a sip. "So, what's goin' on?"

She straightened her face and watched the traffic as well, lips twitching. He could feel her amusement radiating off of her in waves. "What are yah talkin' about?"

Merde. She knew exactly what he was talking about. His hand tightened around the cup. "T'is seems to be an odd detour for coffee." He said and took a sip. "So, where are we headed?"

She smiled, took a sip of her own and then rocked on her heels. "Six Flags O'er Georgia."

He looked at her and wasn't sure if he wanted to believe her or not. She kept smiling and it didn't look or feel like she was going to change her answer any time soon. He curled his toes in his boots and counted from ten down backwards in French in his head. She said she was heading north, not directly east, north. "Why?" He asked, the word exploding from his mouth.

She smirked and looked over at him. "Two words. Roller coasters." She said. His brow furrowed and he looked totally confused. It was kind of cute. She took a sip of her coffee and reminded herself that she was being good now. She wasn't going to lead him on in thinking that she _liked_ him in that way teenagers said to get out of saying they had crushes on someone else. She sighed. This wasn't going to go over well. "Look, mah job was to recruit yah." His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. Guilt stabbed at Rogue's belly and she swallowed. She looked away. "Yah can go on ahead if yah like. There's the highway. Ah won't stop yah. Ah just don' plan on goin' back fast is all." Part of her thought about not going back ever. She took a gulp of her coffee so she didn't have to look or talk to him. He probably would get back on the highway and ride back to 59 leavin' her alone. She felt a little ache of disappointment. She supposed she should be happy that he came at all, but once he'd come. She'd gotten her hopes up a little. She shouldn't have. She knew better, but she had. They could have a lot of fun together, but if he was in a hurry. She wasn't. She wasn't changing her mind about taking in the sights on the way back. He didn't have to come.

Even if she really wanted him to.

He stared at the side of her face. He could feel her regret rolling off of her and some disappointment. He really had no idea what this woman was going to do on her way back and if she got hurt or in trouble because he wasn't there. He shuddered inside. "De t'ought of yah travellin' alone terrifies Remy, cherie."

She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. She glanced at him, her eyes framed by her lashes. "As long as yah like roller coasters."

"Addicted." He said firmly.

She finished her coffee. "Good." She turned.

He stepped in front of her, knowing better than to grab her like Julien had done. "Is all Remy is a _job_ to yah, cherie?" He asked. He had to ask. He had to _know._

Her heart felt stabbed in place with a pin as he looked at her with such intensity. Oh God, what had she done? Her heart pounded against the pin. Why did he have to be so handsome? He was a complete stranger. They didn't know anything about each other. It was all his fault running around without his shirt looking delicious and confident and undeniably sexy. And it hurt, because she did want him as any other woman would and she couldn't have him or anybody. Bobby had taught her that. Her eyes pooled with tears. She might want it to be more than a job, but it just wasn't possible. "Ah am so sorry, Remy. Ah can't." She felt hoarse as her throat tightened. "Ah just can't." She walked past him, ducking her head and her shoulder's slumped. It'd all been a game, misdirection. How had it gotten so out of hand?

Remy stared after her and curled his fist. Frustration bubbled through him. That hadn't answered his question at all and in fact raised _more_ questions. The biggest among them being _what_ couldn't she do and _why._ Her despair and pain and sadness and jarring longing lashed at his brain and he couldn't turn it off or talk to her about it without her shutting down on him or screaming at him for an ability he couldn't control.

She tossed her coffee cup in the trash, crumpling it.

He drank the rest of his coffee and charged the butt of his cigarette, throwing it away from him where it exploded in midair. He glared at his boots and turned to look at her as she mounted her bike. He needed answers. And he needed them _soon._

_

* * *

_

It was too late in the day by the time they arrived at Atlanta to go to the park. So, they found a hotel, got rooms, Rogue insisting on separate ones and he compromised by making sure there was a door between them. It'd been an interesting, explosive little argument that the clerk had enjoyed immensely as they'd stood toe to toe and gone at it in a mixture of French (when he'd cursed her out in French once she'd cursed him right back much to his shock) and English. One room or two, connected rooms, non-connected rooms, who was paying for it. She'd gotten more out of the compromise than he had, unless one counted peace of mind.

Of course, she'd called him a swamp rat too. That'd been too easy to come up with a rejoinder for.

She'd let him choose where to go to dinner, where he had over a leisurely dessert managed to wrangle the rest of her plans out of her. He even cajoled her into changing her route a bit, since it made no sense to him to go north from Carowinds and then south to King's Dominion.

"Look if we east, we can go t'rough Raleigh and t'en north." He pointed out and made the adjustments on the map.

"What's in Raleigh?" She asked and peered over the map on the little screen. She'd moved over to sit next to him while she showed him.

"Remy don' know, but we can find somet'in'."

She chewed her lip. "All right."

"T'en we'll head nort'." He said.

"Ah said all right, Cajun."

"Just makin' sure, bebe."

She stared at him levelly for a few minutes. He grinned back at her. She sighed. "Okay, Ah'll bite, what does that mean?"

He smirked. "Pretty much de same t'in' as cherie, sweetheart, darlin', baby, except it's de Cajun term for it."

"So, Ah call yah by yer ethnicity and yah call me by a Cajun endearment?" Her voice rose slightly.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Yah are de one dat don' know t'eir origin, cherie."

"Yah are cracked." She muttered and turned back to the map.

"Which way, up an' down or side to side?"

She eyed him. "All o'er, especially up here." She said and pointed at his head.

He grinned. "Only 'cause yah make Remy dat way."

She rolled her eyes. "Movin' back to mah side of the table now." She got up and suited actions to words.

He pouted. "Dare's no need to run away."

"Ain't runnin', just movin'." She pulled her phone back over to her and pushed her hair away from her face.

"Looks like runnin' to Remy, river rat." He picked up his coffee mug.

"And Ah don' care what it look like to yah." She said.

"Wanna go to a bar?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Only if it's a good one." She picked the phone up and started a new search.

"Won't know 'til we get dare, cherie." He said. "Remy knows a few places, but good ain't on de list." He paused. "Just no startin' any brawls."

She grinned up at him. "Ah won't promise nothin'."

He sighed. "And t'is is why Remy is terrified."

She stood up and picked up the tab. "And this is me not carin'." She said and walked away with a bounce in her step. He watched after her.

Well, at least the trip would be interesting.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I know it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next Time in Queen's High: Rogue and Remy hit Six Flags, Logan calls, and Remy gets some answers to his questions..._


	9. Chapter 9

**Queen's High  
Chapter Nine: Mutant Rites of Passage**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Remy and Rogue indulge in some fun in the sun, Logan gets annoyed and Remy gets some answers to some of his burning questions.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. And yes, the Ninja exists. :D I also, don't own the rights to Black Velvet by Allanah Myles.

The morning sun was high in the sky and Rogue tugged on her gloves, glancing about a bit at the beginning swells of the day's crowds. A quick glance at Remy told her that he still thought she was nuts for being covered head to toe in the middle of August in Georgia. She smiled at him and bounced on her toes a little, every sense on alert just in case someone tried to touch her. Yeah, she was slightly sweaty and sticky and hot and it wasn't even noon yet. She'd gotten used to it. She was wearing as much sheer as she could but it still wasn't enough.

The buzz in her pants pocket made her pause in her bouncing. She scowled and pulled out her phone. _Badger._ Aw, hell.

She rolled her eyes and flipped the phone open. "What?"

"Stripes," Logan growled. "Where are you?"

"Six Flags O'er Georgia." Rogue cocked her hip.

There was a pause. "Why?"

Rogue snickered. That's exactly what Remy had asked. "Roller coasters, Logan, roller coasters."

Remy turned his head to look at her. He raised his eyebrow. Rogue shook her head and rolled her eyes again.

"Did you recruit him?" Logan growled.

"Yeah."

"Then come home."

Rogue looked up at the sky and prayed for patience. "No."

"No?"

"_Roller coasters,_ and it's our turn on the Ninja." Rogue snapped the phone shut and then stared at it a second and as an additional measure, turned it off.

Remy stared at her. "Yah just hung up on Claws."

Rogue blinked and grinned at him. "Yeah, so?" She shrugged a shoulder. She smirked at him. "Yah just called him Claws."

Remy ignored her second statement. "He's gonna kick yer ass so bad, bebe."

Rogue put her phone away. "If he doesn't have someone's ass to kick, he gets cranky and Ah can handle it." She grinned at Remy. "Besides, sugar, he needs someone to stand up to him once in a while, keeps him lively."

"And yah t'ink Remy is cracked." He muttered.

Rogue smirked. "It is our turn."

"By all means, ladies first." Remy gestured.

* * *

Logan stared at the dead phone before shutting it. He sighed. "She's doin' this to give me gray hairs."

Ororo didn't look up from her paper. "I don't think that is possible."

Logan muttered something about needing more coffee before he sat down across from her. "This shouldn't have taken more than a week."

"This is both Rogue and Remy we are talking about." Ororo finally lowered her paper and looked at him with her dark almost black, blue eyes. "We're lucky that he wasn't out of the country and Rogue is known to do things just to be contrary."

"She's at Six Flags in Georgia." Logan tapped his phone on the table. "That's not just being contrary."

Ororo sighed. "Why is she at Six Flags?"

"Somethin' about roller coasters and our turn on the Ninja."

"Our?" Ororo's eyebrows rose.

Logan stilled. "You don't think…" He trailed off.

"If Remy is with her, she's perfectly fine." Ororo lifted up her paper. "To a degree that traveling with a Thief can be fine." She paused and then lowered her paper again. "You did tell her he was a Thief, correct?"

Logan squirmed. "Well, no." He said. Ororo's eyes closed in exasperation or dread. Logan couldn't tell. He continued trying to rationalize his decision not to tell Rogue that there was some serious politics involved with recruiting Remy. "If she got in and out, I didn't think it was important, plus she absorbs me so much, I thought she'd know already."

Ororo's eyes opened. "You know that's not how her mutation works."

Logan grumbled something about it being the way it should work. Ororo kept her gaze on him. Finally he stood up, went over and grabbed another cup of coffee. "I'll just go tell Chuck that Rogue recruited Gumbo then." He said and fled.

* * *

_That night_

Remy glanced over at Marie. She leaned over the jukebox with a handful of quarters and an intent look in her eyes as she browsed the selections. Her leather pants molded over her butt and he wasn't sure what was more alluring, the brush of her hair along her spine underneath the sheer lacy shirt she was wearing over a tube top or the ass. He looked back down and tried to concentrate on the pool balls he was racking. Some of the other girls were wearing little more than halter tops and daisy duke shorts and they weren't as alluring as Marie's all covered up gift wrap style of dressing that she persisted in despite the heat and his few pointed comments about her having to be dying. She hadn't responded to his rather unsubtle, in his estimation, prodding for an explanation. She'd given him a cool look and told him that this was the way she dressed and essentially to mind his own business.

He'd wisely refrained from back peddling by saying he _liked_ it. It had to be a woman thing, trading comfort for style. He couldn't count as high as the times he'd seen Mercy pull off her ridiculous high heels and plant her feet in Henri's lap moaning about how much they hurt. Henri, the sucker, always obliged with a foot rub. At least, Marie was sensible and wore steel-toed motorcycle boots.

He didn't notice her finish making her selections until she picked up the pool stick leaning against the end of the table and spoke to him. "Are they set yet, Sugar or are yah gonna stare at them all night?"

He tightened the formation and pulled the rack away. "T'ey're set, cherie."

She nodded, adjusted the cue ball to her liking and sent it hurtling down the felt with her stick. The cue hit the formation with a crack and balls rolled everywhere, two falling. Marie nodded in satisfaction and moved around the table. The music she selected started up in the background.

That was all well and good, Remy decided. It wasn't jazz but at least it was something he could listen to without wincing. Then, Marie started dancing to it. Her hips wiggled and shoulder's moved in time with the beat causing her breasts to bounce and her clothes to form interesting alluring creases.

Rogue looked up and caught him watching her behind his sunglasses. She smirked at him. "What?" She loved to dance, all Southern Belles did. She hadn't felt free to dance outside of her room with the door closed in years. Now, she was enjoying herself in shedding some of those restrictions that she'd placed on herself due to her mutation and dating Bobby.

"Yah." He said.

Rogue looked at him for a second. She was going to be good. She really was, but he was asking for it. She sauntered over to him and began to sing along, looking up at him and continuing her dance, her honey sweet voice surprisingly husky when she sang. _"The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true. Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for-"_

He shifted his weight and leaned against the table. Her painted red lips formed the words and begged to be interrupted and kissed. He wanted to grab her hips and rub his thumbs along the skin of her hipbones, rub his body against hers. He didn't dare do any of it.

_"-black velvet and that little boys smile. Black velvet in that slow southern style. A new religion that will bring yah to your knees. Black velvet if you please-"_

She leaned closer to him. He could smell her perfume, orange blossoms. His blood felt hot in his veins. He had to regulate his breathing. Dieu, she was so beautiful and frustratingly close and far away.

_"-Every word of every song that he sang was for you. In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could you do?"_

She finished singing and as the guitar solo started, she went up on tiptoes and smirked at him.

"Yer turn, sugar." She purred.

He grinned. She was definitely something. "Merci, cherie."

It occurred to him that he knew a lot of bars and clubs between here and New York.

* * *

Remy wrenched himself out of a terror filled sleep and sat up, heart pounding as he figured out that the terror hadn't been _his._ It still pounded against his temples like a rapidly beating drum. His eyes widened. "Marie." He hissed and went for the doors between their rooms. His door opened easily, but when he tried hers it refused to turn.

He swore, went for his lock picks, picked the lock, hands shaking from her terror and the door still refused to open. He shoved against it and could feel the deadbolt. Merde. He slammed his fist on the door.

"Marie. Wake up!" Nothing happened. He tried again. "Marie!" He shouted. He heard a sharp gasp. "Open t'is door, Marie!"

The terror eased a little, to be replaced with irritation and the sense that someone was looking over you, staring at your spine somewhere in the dark. He gritted his teeth. She shoved the deadbolt aside and he let go of the door.

Rogue threw it open. "What, swamp rat?"

He swallowed and stared at the short silky nightgown. No. She was not okay. He definitely was not. He forced his mind back from the length of her legs and the amount of pure pale skin she was showing, more than he'd ever seen on her before. "Yah were havin' a nightmare, cherie."

Her eyes widened. "And how did yah know that?"

His stomach tied into a knot. Oh merde, he did not want to do this, but she deserved the truth. "Remy could feel yer terror."

She stared at him, blinked a few times. "Yah are an empath." She said.

"Somet'in' like dat." He muttered and dragged his fingers through his hair.

She blew out a breath. "Sorry, didn't mean to inflict my emotions on yah. Ah'm fine. It was just a nightmare." She said. He took a step forward to wrap an arm about her. She jerked back and said in a manner that so automatic and reflexive that it was almost offensive, "don't touch me."

He stopped. "Yah aren't all right, cherie. Just-"

"Don't touch me." She said again and hugged herself.

"Sha," He clenched his hands. "Desole, but dat dress, it's made for huggin'." And she was still distressed which wasn't doing his emotions any good. He sometimes still had a hard time sorting out which emotions were his and which were other peoples, touching helped.

She jerked her gaze down and flushed, hair falling across her face. "Oh."

"Please?"

She sighed and she dug her fingers into her arms tighter. It wasn't _fair._ "It ain't personal. It's- it's my mutation. Ah'll hurt yah if we touch skin to skin." She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and kept her eyes on her toes. "It's complicated." She finished in a mutter. She didn't want to go into the details of her mutation at an ungodly hour of the morning.

He nearly bit his tongue in half to keep from saying anything. Oh his poor sweet cherie. It explained a lot, she wasn't able to touch, not in the most important primal level, skin to skin. He slipped past her into her room and found her coat. She watched him without moving. Still clutching herself in the only skin-to-skin contact she was allowed, her own. He picked up her coat and draped it over her shoulders. He wrapped an arm about her now covered shoulders and led her to the bed, sitting down with her on the edge of it. He understood. How he understood her pain and misery, being locked inside herself.

She sat rigidly beside him. "Ah'm fine, Remy. It was just a nightmare."

"Non. Dat was terror." He rubbed her shoulder as best he could and pulled her closer to him.

"Ah'm fine. For the love of God, it weren't even mine." She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yah were still terrified and notice t'is is Remy not askin'." He said, though the statement made him wonder. How did one have another person's nightmares unless they were psychic? Was Marie psychic on top of it?

"Maybe yah should work on yer shields." She grumbled and relaxed a little. He was definitely warm and she did still have a feeling of someone watching her and it was creeping her out and as much as she didn't want to admit it, Remy being there was helping.

"Remy can't."

She bit her lip. "Why not?"

"Because it's a passive ability. Remy has no control over it." He said and tucked her coat around her more.

"Join the club." Rogue muttered. She glanced at him and though his expression didn't change, she knew he had to be curious. She twisted her hands together under her coat. "Ah can't control it." She flushed and looked down at her lap. "It ain't passive or at least the Professor don' think it's passive but he can't figure out how to help me get complete control either." She tried not to cry. The Professor was so much about learning to control one's mutation and she felt so bad not being able to figure it out. She was letting him and his vision down. She thought he knew, sometimes the way he looked at her, but then again, the Professor lived by a strict code of ethics governing his very powerful psychic abilities that she wasn't completely sure if he knew of her own disappointment in not keeping up to his expectations or not.

"It's okay, cherie." Remy murmured.

"No. It ain't." Rogue's shoulders shuddered. "Ah should be able to control it, damn it. It's bad enough that Ah hurt everyone Ah touch and then to have a copy of them settin' up residence in mah head just makes thin's worse. Ah didn't want thin's to be this way. Ah didn't want this and Ah wish Ah could just shut it off so Ah don' hurt more good folk that don' deserve it." She wanted to be able to _touch_ again.

He squeezed her shoulders. "Remy doubts most of us wanted to have dese curses. And de ones dat did most likely regret it."

She half smiled. "Did yah want yers?"

"Hell no." Remy inhaled deeply and let it out. "No, cherie. Remy loves Remy's mutation as much as Remy loves anyt'in' because it's a lot of fun at de best times. At de worst times, Remy wouldn't wish it on Remy's worst enemy."

"Ah'd never wish mine on anyone else." Rogue whispered.

"Tell yah what, Remy will explain Remy's if yah explain yours. T'is must be some sort of mutant rite of passage. See who has de worst mutation."

Rogue half laughed. "Ah think it's all a matter of perspective, every mutant Ah know thinks their mutation is the worst there is until they start meetin' some of the others."

"Well, Remy t'inks Logan has a pretty cool mutation."

"He can't die." Rogue turned her head and looked at him.

"Dat is a good point. And he has t'is disturbin' tendency to lose his memories when bad t'in's happen to him."

"Exactly, a not so cool mutation."

"But he don' die." Remy added.

"Cajun." Rogue sounded exasperated.

"Remy controls de potential energy in t'in's and changes it to kinetic energy and can turn t'in's into bombs." He said. "Everyt'in' is energy, Marie. Everyt'in'." She was energy. He was energy, the bed was energy, the sheets, the walls, the floor, the emotions radiating off her to the flies buzzing outside the window.

She stared at him, lips slightly parted. If he turned his head, he could lean over and kiss her. He didn't feel that was really the best next action to this conversation, so he refrained. That and he didn't exactly know what her touch mutation did. For now, it was wiser to restrain himself.

Though it was hard. She was so beautiful and she looked so vulnerable. And a bit shocked at the idea of his mutation.

Her mouth shut and she swallowed. She didn't want to think too hard about the implications of his mutation. "When Ah touch folk with my skin, Ah take their life energy, their memories and all the emotional attachments with it and Ah take mutant powers and can use them for a time." She looked at his eyes. "If Ah touched yah, Ah could put yah in a coma or Ah could kill yah." Well, not anymore, most likely the most he would feel is dizzy. The professor had helped her slow it down and she could focus and speed the process up again if she needed to. Suffice to say, she found ways she didn't need to ever.

He nodded once then blinked. "See, dare has got to be a bettah way to say all dat."

"Well, sayin' Ah steal your life ain't exactly givin' yah the full implications of what happens." She crossed her arms under the coat. "Nor is sayin' 'Ah make bombs' in yer case."

"Well, on de upside, Remy has a nifty static shield dat keeps unscrupulous psychics from rummagin' about his brain."

"When yah find an upside for mah mutation, tell me." She scowled.

"Yah get to try out everybody else's." He said. "All de fun, without all de nasty twenty-four seven issues."

"Except for the fact Ah can't touch." She growled.

"And Remy has to feel everyone else's emotions." He shrugged and shifted his hand to run up and down her back. "Feel bettah?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Don' yah know that already?"

He sighed. "Oui and non. Oui as in Remy knows yah ain't terrified. Non, because now Remy knows dat yah are frustrated, annoyed and a dozen or more muddled emotions dat take way too much time to sort t'rough for Remy to bot'er at t'is time of night and dat is rat'er intrusive so Remy don' do dat very often anyways."

"Then why did yah ask?"

"Because it's polite? Remy's a gentleman? Remy likes to pretend Remy don' know dese t'in's." He shrugged.

"Ah was fine to begin with. It was yah that was over reactin'." She scowled at him.

He scowled back. "Remy was not."

"Were too."

"Non."

"Oui."

"Non!"

"Yes, yah were." Rogue lifted her chin. "Now, Ah'm politely kickin' yah out so Ah can go back to my beauty rest."

He grinned at her. "Yah are already beautiful, Remy don' t'ink rest is goin' to make yah anyt'in' but gorgeous."

She scowled at him, cheesy ass flatterer.

He stood up and sighed. She crawled back between her sheets, not abandoning her coat until she was safely between them. "Good night, Cajun." She muttered and curled up.

"Night Marie." He walked back to his room and paused at the door. "And for future reference, don' bot'er lockin' de door."

She rolled her eyes and pulled her blankets over her head. "It's yer broken arm if yah touch me."

"Remy is warned." He said and put a hand over his heart. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it. He put his head in his hands and felt his entire body shake.

He had his answers.

He didn't like any of them.

Not one bit.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next Time in Queen's High... Remy and Rogue continue on their road trip. Logan calls again, and Remy makes an interesting discovery._


	10. Chapter 10

**Queen's High  
Chapter Ten: Touching Revelations**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Rogue and Remy continue their road trip, Logan gets cranky and pisses Rogue off and Remy makes an interesting discovery.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Eep Short Chapter!

Despite her better judgment, Rogue turned her phone back on before they left the hotel the next morning. One fuel stop and four hours later, her and Remy managed to hit Carowinds at Charlotte, South Carolina.

Remy talked her into lunch before going on any of the rides. Rogue peered over a map of the park while she ate something that was fatty and full of carbs that he had paid for. It was the only way to get her to take a minute and eat.

Neither of them mentioned their late night talk. Rogue, because she wasn't comfortable bringing up her mutation at any point. And Remy didn't want to strain their relationship with the too many intrusive questions that bubbled behind his tongue and stuck in his throat.

Rogue's phone buzzed again and she pushed the map at Remy making a noise of disgust. "He's worse than a daddy!" She muttered and pulled it out. True to form it read _Badger._

Remy snickered and picked up the map. He wanted to have some say in the rides they went on today. Rogue had good taste in finding the ultimate roller coasters and then insisted on riding them over and over. He wanted to ride something a little different at least once before the park closed.

"Well, if it ain't Mister Wolverine." Rogue said into the phone.

"Kid. What are you doin'?" Logan asked.

Rogue sighed and leaned back in her chair, setting it up on its hind legs and putting her feet on the table making sure to cross them at the ankles. Remy tsked and she ignored him. "Enjoyin' mah trip, Ah missed it the first time around. Yah know, the one that ended in meetin' yah."

Remy looked up. This sounded like a story he needed to hear.

Logan growled. "Not what I asked."

Rogue wiggled her foot. "Amusement parks. Yah know, roller coasters, carnival rides, those games no one can win unless yah know the secrets," she paused as Remy grinned, deciding she didn't want to know, she continued, "bad food. So, there's Carowinds today, Remy wants to stop in Raleigh, then we're goin' to King's Dominion, Busch Gardens and Williamsburg, Six Flags America, Washington DC to yah know, _not_ visit the president, Harrisburg, Hershey Park and Gettysburg and if the look on Remy's face is what Ah think it is, probably stoppin' in Philly as well, then Dorney Park in Allentown, Six Flags Great Adventure and then the mansion. Ah thought Ah'd skip the Statue of Liberty though, been there, got the souvenirs." She reached up and flipped one of her stripes over her shoulder.

Logan sighed. "Rogue."

"Remy is free to go ahead whenever he likes." Rogue winked at him. "Ain't that right, sugar?"

"And miss de fun? No way, cherie."

Rogue looked towards the phone. "It ain't like we gotta be back right away. Let us have some fun before headin' into endless danger room sessions, missions that ain't anythin' like said danger room sessions, tedious lesson plans," her voice took on a childish note, "Gambit may I? Why Gambit why? But so and so gets to do it!" She stopped at Remy's startled look up from the map and smiled at him changing her voice back to a normal tone, "hormonal teenage _cooing_, and back room rules lawyerin'."

"Kid, you sure you ain't stalling, Bobby-"

Rogue's feet dropped off the table and she pushed the chair back, stalking away from the table. She didn't hear what Logan said next over the pounding of blood to her ears. Her eyes narrowed and fist clenched. "Bobby!" She spat once she got far enough away she hoped Remy wouldn't be able to overhear. Having her mutation was bad enough, she didn't want Remy's pity over her ex-boyfriend on top of it. "What do Ah care about Bobby?"

"Kid." Logan tried to interrupt.

"Bobby and Ah are o'er. If that white face, blue eyed, milksop _bitch_ Emma Frost wants him. She can have him."

"Kid." Logan tried again.

"Bobby 'the Iceman' Drake and Emma Frost, aren't they so cute and compatible." Rogue finished with a sneer.

"Just makin' sure you ain't makin' a mistake here."

"Mistake? Once, Logan, once him cheatin' on me Ah can see it as an accident, though how that is an accident Ah'm not sure. Two, okay, it was a bit coincidental. Three times! That's a mistake on his part and mine for stayin' with him after he cheated _once._" Rogue clenched her hand on the phone. She didn't appreciate feeling like a fool.

"He's been good to you."

Rogue gaped. "Ah can't believe yah are standin' up for him. Yah don' even _like_ him."

"You're mad."

"Justifiably." Rogue tossed her hair.

Logan couldn't argue with that. "Don't rush into somethin' stupid."

"Like yah do?"

"Marie." He sighed this time.

He was using her real name. She'd run to the end of his patience. She softened her stance. "Ah'm not rushin' into anythin' stupid. Ah promise. Ah'm just takin' a well-needed vacation. Remy's terrified of me travellin' alone for some reason. So, he's taggin' along. We'll be fine. If yah are too worried, go down to Forge's 'super secret' lab and have him use his 'super special' fancy computers to track my cell signal so yah _know_ where Ah am. Otherwise, we'll be seein' yah, _eventually_." She snapped the phone closed hanging up on him. She turned back to the table and walked back. "Sorry 'bout that." She muttered and sat back down. "See anythin' good?"

"Ot'er dan yah?"

She eyed him, grinned and then leaned back in her chair again. "Ah meant on the map."

"Oh, on de map." He looked back down. "Well, t'is Afterburn coaster looks fun."

"Ah was hopin' to get to the Intimidator, mahself."

"But de Afterburn has loops." Remy picked up his soda. He glanced at her. "Yah know, cherie, t'ey have water rides."

"That involves gettin' wet."

"De entire point of water rides."

"Ah don' think so."

He pouted and went back to the map. "Fine, t'en how about some of de thrill rides instead?"

"If yah think yah are getting' me on that Vikin' ship, yah have another thin' comin' swamp rat."

"No Vikin' ship." He nodded. "Go Karts?"

She stood back up and gathered her garbage. "Go Karts are good."

He picked up his as well, tucking the map in his back pocket. He came around to walk next to her towards the trash. A group of little kids ran towards them and Remy could see that they weren't going to stop or move aside. He took a step to the side, closer to Marie and brought his hand up to grab her waist so she wouldn't fall as she took the expected step away from him and almost tripped as she tried to both avoid him and a family coming from the other direction. "Easy, cherie." He murmured. Her stab of fear punched at him and he shook it off, tightening his grip a little.

Her voice sounded strangled. "Ah ain't used to folk touchin' me." She said. He turned his head and looked at her, eyebrows raised in an overt 'you think' expression. He rubbed up and down, the fabric of her sheer shirt bunching under his fingers. She pressed her lips together. "Yah ain't gonna let me go." She said.

"Non."

"Come on, Sugar."

"First excuse Remy has had to touch yah since last night. Ain't gonna waste it."

She stared at him. He was being totally honest. She breathed out and threw her trash in the can. His followed right after and he turned her away down the path towards the rides. She supposed she could find a way out of his hold if she really wanted. It would most likely involve breaking the bones in his foot, though he was wearing motorcycle boots too and she wasn't sure how well it would work. It'd at least make him hop for a moment she supposed. But she didn't. It felt kind of nice to be held like this, even though the day was hot. Though-

"Yah are gonna have to let me go when we get there." She pointed out.

"We'll get dare when we get dare." He shrugged.

"We've got six hours. No stallin'." She almost whined.

"Remy promises no stallin'." He grinned. "Besides, Remy ain't sure what yah are so worried about, yah are completely covered. Takin' all de fun out of livin' dangerously, yah are."

"Ah ain't yer very own personal thrill ride." She scowled.

"Too bad." He said and wiggled his eyebrows.

Rogue flushed as the meaning of that came to the forefront of her brain. His mind was a gutter. "Roller coasters, swamp rat, now."

He laughed and pulled her a little closer.

* * *

It was the start of a trend, after that Rogue felt that Remy made a point to be touching her as much as he possibly could. When they got off their motorcycles, he was there. Walking down the street, he was at the very least holding her hand. If they played pool at some bar, he would come up behind her and wrap his arms around her while the other team goofed off. He saw her to her door at night. He figured out how she liked her coffee and what her favorite dessert was and she figured out that he preferred jazz and thought square dancin' was for those without a backbone to flout authority and their papas. (Though he did know how to do it.) In Raleigh, they talked books. At King's Dominion, he suggested going to the movies, which led to a discussion about who was the better action star, Vin Diesel or Jason Statham, mainly because the two were both bald and they agreed about every other actor. (He preferred Jason Statham because of his smooth with the ladies ways and she liked Vin Diesel's attitude.)

And he didn't stop touching her. She almost forgot about it. It took her over a day to stop jumping when he put a hand on her. It took him taking her hand and placing it over his to remember that she could actually _respond_ to the touching. He liked to smell her hair and talk in her ear whenever he could. By Busch Gardens she felt comfortable enough to tell him how she met Logan and he responded in kind with an additional story about Ororo as well. She could have told him no. She could have told him to stop touching her. She didn't.

She liked it. He wasn't afraid.

She liked _him._

She discovered his preferred brand of cigarettes. Told him his addiction to gambling was going to get him in trouble one day. Teased him about his favorite cake and stole sips of his Bourbon while he pretended not to see. He retaliated by determining her brand of perfume, telling her bra size just by looking, grumbling about her hoarding anything chocolate and buying more bourbon than he should.

Sometimes, through the sheer fabrics she'd taken to wearing over skimpy tops, it almost felt like he was touching her skin.

Somewhere between Williamsburg and DC, Remy took her hand and pulled her into a dance club.

"Remy!" She laughed. "Ah ain't good at this. Can't we go somewhere else?"

He spun about to face her and pulled her close. "Remy detects a liar. Non. A few itty bitty dances and t'en we'll go." His eyes narrowed and he leaned down. "Unless yah are enjoyin' yourself."

"Ah'll step on yer feet." She warned him. Ballroom she was fine with to an extent, she knew the simple box step. She could square dance. Club dancing, she'd never learned how, at least not with a partner. No one, once they discovered her mutation, wanted to be that close.

"Dat's why Remy wears steel toed shoes, oui?" He said and ran his hands up and down her sides. "Yah do t'is all de time in de bars. What's so different here?"

She mock scowled at him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Ah dance by mahself there."

"Only 'cause Remy is having far too much fun watchin'." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes. The techno music had an easy beat to follow and the deep bass notes thrummed through her body and club dancing didn't necessarily require too much moving with her feet. She smirked up at him and began to move with the music. He grinned back and moved with her, he grabbed her hand and spun her about so her back pressed into his front. His other hand slid along the hem of her shirt.

Or it meant to, that's when he felt smooth warm skin under his fingers for a few seconds before his hand moved back onto the fabric of her shirt.

And nothing happened.

His face was near her neck, her head turned to the side and it was a good thing, because for a second, a split second his face registered the shock that had exploded through his mind. He kept dancing with her, one half of his mind focused on the moves and her and the other on this new development.

He took a measure of her with his empathy and wanted to sag in relief at the relaxation, amusement and yes, fair amount of lust that radiated in warm waves from her.

She hadn't noticed.

She hadn't noticed that he'd _touched_ her skin and not gotten hurt.

But she had no reason to lie to him. His cherie longed to be touched. She was crying inside over it whenever he had brought up a personal relationship between them. So, he came to the simple conclusion that she didn't know.

He murmured distracting French phrases into her ear, saying things to make her smile and make her laugh.

And that made so sense at all. Surely, if she could touch people she should know she was able to do it. Unless, whenever she did touch people knowingly, she absorbed them. His heart pounded a little. Or it could be his static shield gave him some sort of immunity to it, but that seemed slightly too simple as he was tamped down as far as he could go at the moment. He didn't particularly like feeling like he had a raging fever in 100 degree heat. It was useful in the middle of a freezing winter, not so much in a sultry summer.

He had to know.

It was a little mystery that mocked him now that he knew. He could _touch_ Marie and mon Dieu, he wanted to touch her so badly it hurt.

He whispered something in her ear that made her turn red and laugh. He slid his hand off her shirt and rubbed a little circle on the skin of her hip before sliding his hand back up to safe covered areas.

And once again, nothing happened.

Once again, Marie didn't notice.

He grinned at her, letting her think it was her retaliating remark. Lady Luck had smiled at him tonight and he knew better than to push it. He spun her back around, stroking her back and celebrated a bit by pulling her closer than he'd dared before.

She didn't protest and in fact, dared to put her arms around his neck instead of on his shoulders.

There had to be a reason why Marie couldn't touch and by Dieu, Remy would figure it out.

He had every reason in the world to succeed.

Failure did not bear thinking about.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Remy decides to experiment a little and they both discover the bad thing about unplanned road trips._


	11. Chapter 11

**Queen's High  
Chapter Eleven: The Perils of Adulthood**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Remy and Rogue head north and decide to hit D.C. for a few days. Remy starts his experimentation and tells an audacious lie. Rogue is quick to get her revenge.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. I really debated doing this, discussed it with Lost and Never Found, and she gave the go ahead with logical reasoning behind it. I promise not to do it again! (Unless I have just as good logical reasons, never say never and all that.)

_To Cerrenous: Oui. Very much so, her characterization was all right in the first movie and in fact made sense, by the third movie I wanted to tear my hair out. Is it that noticeable? :D Thanks for reading and reviewing! (And once again, that goes out to ALL my reviewers anon or not. You guys make my day.)  
_

* * *

Remy barely looked up from where he was smothering his pancakes in maple syrup. "So, Remy assumes yah would like to spend a couple of days in D.C., oui?"

Rogue dumped sugar in her coffee and ignored his grimace of distaste. It was bad coffee. When she went for the sugar, the coffee was downright awful. It was still coffee and she needed her morning fix. "If Ah had my druthers."

Remy nodded and watched her hands, her bare hands. She'd taken off her gloves when the plates had arrived. She reached for one of her pigs in a blanket. He turned his eyes back to his plate and focused on cutting his pancake into tiny little pieces. She was torturing him with bits of skin. Ever since the revelation of last night, when he had laid in bed and thought about the ways he could touch Marie and the ways he wanted to touch Marie and how she could touch him, the entangling of their fingers had been something so simple and important. Her bare hands reaching for her food made him want to reach out and try parts of his fantasies to see what the skin actually felt like. Were her hands smooth from constantly being covered or did she do things without her gloves that made them rough? It was torture to sit and restrain his natural instincts to touch, to feel, to know.

She couldn't know about him and his ways. She didn't seem the type to deliberately taunt men out of sheer spite.

She wouldn't be that cruel, would she?

Even though, it did provide him with an opportunity. He needed to figure out why she thought she couldn't touch. He pondered as she finished her first bite. "Remy has no objections. We can try somet'in' different." He said. She nodded and took another bite without saying anything. She reached for another. Remy watched her carefully, all without really watching her as he reached towards her hand. She stiffened, waves of nervousness roiled off of her mind, like bugs walking across his skin, with tiny sharp jabs of fear underneath. Her eyes riveted onto his hands. He reached past her and took a napkin from the holder and retreated back to his side of the table. She instantly relaxed, the nervousness and fear tucked away, and picked up another pig in a blanket, though he could see now in her body language that her muscles were tense as if she was on constant alert to her environment. He set the napkin on his lap. "Perhaps we can do water rides t'is time." He said.

She paused, food halfway to her mouth and glared at him. "No."

He grinned at her. "Aw, cherie, it's hot and de water would cool yah down since yah have to covered up all de time." He eyed her, smirking with a raised eyebrow.

She didn't stop glaring. "Ah said no." She stuffed the pastry wrapped sausage into her mouth and chewed it.

Remy sighed. "Tilt a whirl, oui?"

She scowled at him and swallowed. "That's jus' as bad as one of them ship rides. Ah don' think so, but if yah wanna make a fool of yerself. Ah'll watch." She paused and smirked back at him. "An' laugh."

He pouted. They finished their breakfast silence.

* * *

She kept them at the park until the coaster's shut down for the night, conceding to ride some of the tamer carnival-esque rides. She rode the swings more than once while he watched, her hair streaming behind her as she closed her eyes and leaned back. It almost felt like flyin'.

It was after dark by the time they found a hotel with a vacancy. And then Remy remembered why when he went to D.C. he made reservations weeks in advance or took up residence at the local Guild Hall. Why else was he paying all those dues and tithes if not to use the places once in a while?

"I've got one room." The clerk said. The two looked at each other. "It's a double." He added, and they looked back at him. "I doubt you're going to find any singles open in the city."

"Ah suppose." Rogue muttered and bit her lip.

"Yah sure dare won't be anyt'in' else?" Remy asked, more for Rogue's sake than his.

"Positive, some big conference with the usual amount of demonstrators and protestors. Hotels have been booked for weeks, this was a last minute cancellation." The clerk rolled his eyes.

Rogue sighed. "If there ain't anythin' else, there ain't nothin' else. We'll take it."

Remy eyed her. "Yah sure, cherie?"

"We're adults." Rogue glanced back at him. "Ah'm sure we can handle it."

He didn't think he could come up with an answer she would listen to for that argument. He nodded and turned back to the clerk who was watching them with all the interest of a man who enjoyed ping-pong matches "How many days is de room open?"

"Rest of the week if you need it."

Remy looked back at Rogue. It was her trip and he wasn't going to make the decision for her.

"Yah think two days will be enough?" She asked, eyes a little wide.

"Non, two mont's ain't long enough to really explore."

He was a great deal of help. Rogue shifted her weight and bit her lip. She didn't think she dared take more than two days in a single city. Logan would come and get them if they took too long in his opinion. "Three nights." She said finally.

The clerk hummed and nodded. "Check out is at eleven." He said and started to enter information. "Name?"

Rogue reached to get out her ID and was stopped by Remy's hand on her wrist. She jerked her head up and blinked at him. "Remy and Marie Lebeau." He said and slid his credit card across the desk.

Her jaw dropped and she was about to make an argument in protest or even tell the clerk he was lying when Remy stepped on her foot. She snapped her mouth shut.

"Your driver's license, sir." The clerk nodded.

"Bien sur." Remy said and got it out. The clerk finished and pulled out two keys passing them over and returning Remy's license when he was done with it.

"Sign here, please." The clerk pushed across a paper. Remy signed. "Enjoy your stay."

"Merci." Remy said and wrapped his arm about Rogue's waist tugging her away.

She chewed on her tongue and stewed until they were out the door and it shut behind him. "Why in hell did yah do that?" She almost shouted at him.

"Well, he probably t'inks we're married already." Remy shrugged and then grinned. "Dat way he'll be willin' to be nice to us."

"But we ain't married." Rogue spun about out of his arm at the motorcycles and stomped her foot. The color rose in her cheeks and her eyes snapped like green fire.

He leaned towards her. Dieu, she was far too beautiful at all times. "So?"

"Yah just _lied_ to that clerk." She pointed at his chest, poking him.

"And he didn't take yer information." Remy shifted a little and grabbed her hand. He wrapped their fingers together. She was so stingy with her personal information that he figured she wouldn't mind not having a paper trail for a few days. Besides, he was a gentleman and if they were sharing the rooms all their previous compromises didn't mean anything. He was a man. He had more money than he knew what to do with (not that she knew that) and could buy the hotel if he wanted. He could pay. Sure, it wasn't the penthouse suite at the most fancy hotel in town. She could afford this place. He could still pay.

Rogue tugged at her hand, trying to get it out of his grip and he wouldn't let go. She wasn't anybody's property and she'd just gotten out of a relationship. She wasn't ready to even to pretend to be in another one. "That's not important. Ah ain't yer wife and Ah don' like yah even hintin' that Ah am."

He wanted to sigh. She wasn't being reasonable about this. Appearances mattered. "Marie."

She hissed. "And Marie is mah _middle_ name."

He blinked and bit his lip. "Remy's only tryin' to protect yer reputation, cherie."

She stared at him and then slapped her palm over her eyes. That was the worst and oldest ploy in the playbook. "Yah are not."

"Yah have been nort' far too long if yah don' think it won't matter to dat man or anyone else." He kissed her fingers and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Just go along wit' it, for Remy. It's just de hotel register."

"It's the principle of it." Rogue dropped her hand. It settled on his shoulder. She didn't like lying. "But yah don' seem to get that."

"Well, no." He shrugged. "We must have been raised differently, cherie." He stared at her. "What's done is done, oui?"

She groaned. He was right. He'd already done it. She was arguing for nothing. "Oh fine, but Ah protest."

"Remy was gettin' dat cherie." He grinned at her and let her go. She turned and pulled her bags out of her motorcycle and he did the same. He wrapped his arm right back around her waist. He steered her towards a side door of the building. He glanced at her. "What is yah first name anyways?"

She clenched her teeth. Now that he had started lying in this town, they were going to have to perpetuate the lie until they left. "Ah would think yah would know that already, since Ah'm yer _wife._"

He opened the door and let her go through first. "But Remy is askin' because bot' yah and Remy know de truth."

She sighed. She'd asked for this. She should have never said that. He wouldn't let it go, ever, until he knew. "Anna." She said.

"Dat's pretty." He paused. "Remy likes Marie bettah."

"Well, Ah don' use it, so keep it behind yer teeth, swamp rat." She said and then refrained from saying she didn't use Marie much either. He was like Logan. He only used her name when it was last resort calling her under half a dozen pet names the rest of the time. So, she didn't figure she needed to tell him expressly not to call her Marie too often or too loudly.

"Cross Remy's heart." He grinned and then opened their room door.

She entered ahead of him, turning on the lights. "Yah bettah." She said and then paused, looking at the two beds. She swallowed once as nervousness filled her. She was going to be sharing a room with Remy. She steeled her spine, threw her bag on the nearest bed and reminded herself that she shared a room at Xavier's for years. This wasn't any different. He was just a guy that was all.

Remy however, stared at the two beds in trepidation, two large double beds meant for two people, not one.

She spun on her heel and looked at him. "Yah can have the bathroom first."

He jerked and blinked once trying to get his brain into gear. "Uh, merci cherie." He muttered and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He stared at his reflection in the wall-to-wall mirror and wondered exactly what he'd gotten himself into.

Rogue glared at the door for a moment and then pulled her coat off, unzipped her duffle and dug out her nightgown. She was going to be in her nightgown and ready to dive into that bathroom as soon as he finished. She worked out of her clothes, pulling her nightgown over her head. And then, she was going to go straight to bed and not worry about him or anything else until early morning. Rogue put her duffle on the luggage rack and then paced back and forth while she waited.

He opened the door and came down the hall. "Bathroom's all-" He paused in both motion and in words as he caught sight of her. "-yers, cherie." He finished faintly.

She crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "What, swamp rat?"

His shifted his eyes to the window. "Nuttin'." He said. Rogue frowned, truly not understanding. He must have sensed it because his eyes came back to rest on her and then away again before walking past her towards the second bed. He glanced at her again. "Dat nightgown cherie, it ain't really made for," He struggled with a polite way to put it. "Sleepin'." He said finally.

Rogue stared at him for a few moments as she tried to figure out what he meant. Her jaw worked. She _liked_ her nightgown. It was feminine without being lacy or frilly. It was comfortable and sure it didn't cover her head to toe but her bed was one of the few places she didn't have to _worry_ about that. And of course it was made for sleeping, unless ones sleeping didn't actually involve _sleeping._ She ground her teeth together. Did the man have _sex_ on the brain constantly? Well, if he was uncomfortable (God forbid that he be uncomfortable) with her wearing _sexy_ sleepwear then he was going to have to help the cause because she wasn't sleeping _naked._ She narrowed her eyes at him and held out her hand. "T-shirt."

"What?"

"Yer t-shirt, sugar, hand it over." She said and waved her fingers. "The one yer wearing."

He brow furrowed, but he pulled it over his head and tossed it to her. She caught it and raked his chest once with her eyes. He wasn't sure if it was an appreciative look or not. Then she pulled the t-shirt over her head, pushed the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders as soon as she tugged the t-shirt down to her thighs. The nightgown fell to the floor and she shoved her arms through the arms of the shirt. She leaned down picked up the nightgown and stalked towards the bathroom ignoring his shocked look. She tossed her nightgown into her duffle and slammed the bathroom door behind her.

Remy stared at the closed bathroom door and then fell backwards onto his bed. He put his arm over his eyes and swallowed a groan so that it came out a quiet whimper. She was going to drive him mad. He really needed to learn around Marie to keep his big mouth shut or to just compliment her for once then maybe she wouldn't do these things. The nightgown he could handle, sort of, because as a garment it was supposed to be sexy. He could pretend and lie to himself that he wouldn't think too much about how the fabric fell along her body and her breasts swelling underneath it. With the t-shirt, he had no illusions because it was _his_ t-shirt and despite the fact it wasn't supposed to be sexy, it was because it was some sort of physical claim that he'd just been wearing so he knew how the fabric felt and the more she covered up the more he wanted her.

She was driving him nuts. He had far too vivid of an imagination.

The bathroom opened and she turned off the lights as she came through. He heard her crawl into her bed and the covers moving as she slid between the sheets. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore her.

It even sort of worked, because she ignored him and fell asleep within minutes.

Remy's arm slipped off his eyes and he opened them. He could hear her even breathing. He stared at the ceiling. He was Remy Lebeau, damn it. He didn't sleep in the same bedroom with a woman. He slept in the same bed with the woman usually after a long rigorous amount of mutually satisfying sexual exercise.

What was it that Rogue had said? They were adults? They could handle this?

Remy was beginning to wonder about the veracity of that.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it is pure cupboard love.)_

_Next Time in Queen's High... Rogue receives a new endearment, Remy makes some reservations and tries the concept called sharing, while Logan ends up on Rogue's shit list._


	12. Chapter 12

**Queen's High  
Chapter Twelve: Borrowing Trouble**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Remy and Rogue head north and decide to hit D.C. for a few days. After a new exchange of endearments, Remy makes some reservations and Logan gets on Rogue's bad side.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Good news, next update is on _Sunday!  
_

Rogue rolled over, squinting her eyes against the bright, sharp thin lines of sunlight. It took a few minutes to register that the bed next to her was empty, the covers a rumpled mess. Remy was missing. Rogue didn't know what to think about it and in a haze, rolled out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom and the promises of hot water on someone else's nickel.

She only remembered belatedly to grab her bag with her clothes.

Half an hour and one steam filled bathroom later, she was feeling slightly more ready to greet the day. Someone knocked on the door.

"Sha, are yah decent?" Remy asked on the other side.

Rogue's eyebrow rose. Sha, what the hell was sha? "Oui, _hun._"

He opened the door and backed into the room, letting the door shut behind him once he got past it. Her expression didn't change as he looked at her. He raised his own eyebrow back at her. "Bon matin."

"Mornin'." She shifted her weight to one leg.

"Remy found some real coffee." He said and held out a steaming cardboard cup towards her. He didn't want to see her ruin perfectly fine brewed coffee again by drowning it in sugar if he could help it. "And de paper." He said. He hoped he didn't look like he'd been up since four in the morning, which was when he'd given up on trying to get a whole night's sleep and taken his own shower, escaping the room and her tempting presence before he lost all his sense and tried some of the ideas of how to sleep in the same bed with her without touching her skin.

She took the cup gingerly. "Thanks."

"De rien."

She took a sip and sat on the bed. "Sha?"

He blinked. He thought he'd said cherie like he normally did. "Cherie."

"That ain't an answer."

"Sha is de exact equivalent of cherie." He sighed and set the paper down on his things. It was just the Cajun slang for it.

"Yah do realize yah have three ways of callin' me the exact same thin', Cajun." She pointed out and took another sip of coffee. It was actually really good coffee.

He thought about that for a moment, while she continued to sip her coffee. "Ain't most endearments de same t'in'?"

"They have the same intention, don' mean they are the same thin'." She said.

"T'is is a ridiculous conversation, cherie." He crossed his arms. "Remy don' see why it matters."

"Just pointin' out, Sugar." She smiled at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Daylight's wastin', cherie."

She held out her hand. "Help me up." She said. He eyed her hand for a second. She was a big girl. She could get to her own feet. He took it anyways and tugged her forward. She grinned at him. "Thank yah." She winked at him and brushed against him as she headed for the door.

He stared after her. He really didn't understand her at all.

She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. "Comin' Cajun?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

He gave up for the moment, and caught up with her, wrapping his arm about her. "Dat's a silly question." He paused. "And a naughty one."

Rogue glared at him, reached around his back and slapped him upside the head. "Get yer head out of the gutter."

He pouted. "But dat's no fun."

She rolled her eyes and he grinned at her.

* * *

Remy dropped back as Rogue explored the Smithsonian. He glanced at the clock on his phone and concluded that it was far enough after lunch that someone would be answering phones. He dialed a number that he kept in his extensive phonebook.

"Allo, La Belle Fleur, how may I help you?"

"Ah'd like to make a reservation for t'is evenin'." Remy started.

"I'm sorry sir, but we are all booked up for the next six months."

Remy's eyelids lowered. This guy must be new. "Let me talk to de owner."

"I'm sorry. He's not-"

"Homme, yah go tell Leon Lefevre who is in de kitchen right now surveyin' de start of de preparations for dinner service dat Remy Lebeau is on de phone. And since yah are new, dat is all of de message." Remy kept his voice low.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment and suddenly Remy heard the classic jazz that Leon used when he put people on hold. Remy checked on Rogue, who had moved further down the exhibit. The music stopped.

"Remy! What are yah doin' in town wit'out tellin' me." Leon said, his voice hearty and warm.

"Remy just told yah." Remy rolled his eyes. "Remy was hopin' to drop by for dinner."

"Tres bien!"

Remy bit his lip. "Wit' a lady."

There was a pause. "Oh?"

"Leon." He sighed. He hoped that Leon wouldn't start next with picking on him. "Remy wants to show her a nice time while t'ey are here, dat's all."

"Yah protest too soon and too much, mon ami." Leon said. "A romantic dinner on de balcony t'en, oui?"

Remy felt sweat form in his palms. Leon was a hopeless romantic. "De dinin' room is-"

"Nonsense." Leon interrupted. "De dining room is full anyways. And de balcony is perfect t'is time of year. Shall Ah order flowers to be ready when yah arrive or were yah gonna take care of it?"

Remy could feel this rapidly slipping out of his control. "We're travellin' by motorcycle, Leon.'

"T'en yah will need a car service." Leon said and Remy could hear him writing something down. "And surely, yah would like to give her somet'in'."

"Motorcycles, Leon."

"One flower? She could wear it in her hair."

Remy closed his eyes. "One."

"Classic or exotic?"

Remy sighed. "Classic is fine."

"Yah sound so put upon."

"Yah are takin' Remy's plans for a simple nice dinner and-"

"Doin' exactly what yah would do if yah had yer head on straight." Leon finished.

"Who said Remy don' have Remy's head on straight?" Remy's eyes widened. Surely, gossip hadn't traveled that fast.

"Dat would be tellin'. And what would yah like to order?"

"De regular for Remy and Marie ain't a dainty eater so," Remy paused. "Let Remy go and ask."

"Smart." Leon muttered.

Remy went to catch up with Rogue. "What is goin' on in town tonight anyways?"

"Well, dare is de usual shows at de theatre, but yah are a bit late if yah want a good seat for dat today. There's a magnificent jazz quartet, an art gallery openin'…"

Remy half listened and came up behind Rogue and waited until she glanced at him. "Cherie," He said. Leon stopped talking and muttered something about not knowing why he bothered. "What did yah want for dinner?"

"Uh," Rogue blinked. "What's special about dinner?"

Remy shifted on his feet. "Remy was hopin' to take yah someplace nice."

Rogue stared at him, excitement and the nervousness that she was going to disappoint him warring in her stomach. "Ah hate to sound terribly girly an' all, but Ah don' think Ah've got anythin' to wear to fit yer definition of nice."

"Well, yah did want to go shoppin'." Remy muttered and Leon laughed in his ear. Remy ignored him. "Have yah ever had boar, cherie?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Nooo." She didn't even know that restaurants served boar.

"She likes chocolate, Leon." Remy said.

"Ah know exactly what to make her t'en." Leon said.

"Merci beaucoup." Remy said. "And de quartet sounds fine."

"Nice to know dat yah were listening," Leon muttered. "Until tonight, mon ami." He hung up.

Remy shut his phone and looked at her. Rogue bit her tongue. She wanted to know what was going on, what she was eating that night and what the hell Remy was thinking, but then again she didn't. She didn't want to lead him on but he was the one talking about going someplace _nice_ for dinner and his definition of nice was so far above hers that it didn't bear thinking about. "Ah really don' have anythin' to wear." She said.

"T'en we best hurry." He wiggled his eyebrows.

She smiled at him. "All right, Ah suppose we should."

* * *

Rogue, wrapped in a towel, unzipped the garment bag of the dress she'd bought that afternoon at the shop girl's insistence after being told that Rogue was going to La Bella Fleur. She'd been assured several times that it was a French designer and that she would fit right in with the regular crowd at the famous restaurant. Remy, out of chivalry or some such nonsense, had abandoned the hotel room on the pretext of looking for a shave or a haircut or making some sort of arrangements. She wasn't sure which just he'd muttered something and left saying he'd be back in time to for them to leave.

Her phone rang and the ring tone was still obnoxious. She winced and picked it up. She still needed to change it. "Logan."

"Hey Stripes, where are you?"

"In D.C., ain't yah got Forge trackin' me?" Rogue frowned and pulled the dress out.

"I don't trust it."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "It ain't like Ah'm gonna drop my cell by the side of the road and abandon it. Ah'm fine. Remy's fine."

"So, what are you doin' in D.C."

"Yah know, touristy thin's." Rogue let the towel drop and reached for the underclothes she'd bought to go with the dress, stepping into the panties and securing the bustier up the front. "Museums and monuments and such." She sat on the bed to put on her thigh-highs. "And avoidin' the White House at all costs, yah know. Ah've seen the Oval Office. Ah ain't impressed." She stepped into the dress and zipped it up the back.

"Stripes?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. Of course he heard the zipper. "Ah'm getting dressed. Remy and Ah are goin' out for dinner. Like we have to do every night 'cause we're on a road trip."

"Then why are you getting dressed at five in the afternoon?"

"Because we're goin' someplace nice." Rogue adjusted the dress so it fit properly and went for her long black gloves.

"Sounds like a date. Let me talk to Gumbo."

"Gumbo?" Rogue coughed.

"Remy." Logan corrected himself. Rogue snickered for a few minutes. "Rogue." Logan growled.

She contained herself. "Ah can't." Rogue pulled the gloves on. "He ain't in the room."

"The room? As in a single room?"

"We're adults. We can share a room without problems." Rogue glared at a random wall. "Relax, Mister Wolverine. It's only for a few days." Then she and Remy would go back to their carefully argued out compromise and separate rooms. She grabbed the shoes out of their box and leaned over to put them on while she let Logan digest that. It didn't take him long.

"Days!"

Rogue grabbed her makeup and headed for the bathroom. "Yes, days. D.C. is crowded and there's a conference goin' on. We're lucky to have found a room at all."

Logan growled. "Then maybe you could come home."

"Yah are obsessed with this, Logan. It's gettin' old." Rogue rummaged through her case. "Damn it. Ah don't have any jewelry." She muttered, at least nothing nicer than her silver studs. "And Ah wouldn't let yah talk to Remy anyways." Logan didn't say anything so she continued. "As yah would try to convince him to bring me home faster like Ah'm a child that needs a babysitter. And Ah ain't and neither is he."

"No. I'd try to convince him not to take you out to dinner."

Rogue froze and felt something in her heart stab. But- "That ain't nice." She said.

"This little road trip is bad enough."

"Logan." Rogue interrupted. "Ah am a _grown_ woman. Remy and Ah are goin' out to dinner someplace nice that needs reservations and it ain't really any of yer business." She had spent all afternoon looking forward to this. Logan wasn't going to interfere with their plans from several hundred miles away. Rogue stared at the mess of makeup in her bag. She wouldn't let him. "Ah think yah owe me an apology."

"Rogue."

"When yah can say yah are sorry for tryin' to ruin my perfectly pleasant evenin', call me back." Rogue snapped the phone shut and inhaled deeply. She then shut the phone off. She exhaled and let the anger at Logan go for the moment. She was going to have a fine evening with Remy. She set to her face with brushes and powders.

She finished applying her makeup as Remy once again knocked on the door. "Yah ready, cherie?" He asked.

"Ah am." She said, coming out of the bathroom.

He let himself in and they stared at each other for a moment. Remy's eyes dragged down her figure taking in her dress and the gloves and Rogue's heart pounded again as his gaze really did make it feel like her skin was on fire.

"Yah are beautiful, ma cherie." He said.

She smiled at him. "Merci, sugar. Yah ain't so bad yourself." She glanced at his fitted three-piece suit, button down shirt and tie. "Just let me get my scarf and we can go." Rogue went to her bed and picked up her scarf and a clutch to go with the dress. She straightened.

He followed her into the bedroom area. "Hold still a moment." He murmured and reached up behind his neck. Rogue stiffened, her back rigid, shoulders stiff and she exuded nervousness. He unhooked his necklace and in a smooth motion, took it from his neck to put it on hers, passing it in front of her face. Her hand came up to touch it and she relaxed slightly.

"Remy," she murmured. He didn't have to put his necklace on _her._

"Yah need it more t'an Remy does at de moment." He said and clasped it shut, all without touching her skin. Though that had been a small struggle not to touch it once. She'd gotten tense again though at the unknown or the anticipation of him touching her. He didn't let it bother him. He'd been paying attention all day and she did this when she thought anybody was going to touch her. "T'ough Remy will want it back." He muttered darkly.

She snickered and straightened her face out before turning. "Thank yah for lettin' me borrow it."

"And dat is all it is, borrowin'." He glowered at her. Rogue smiled at him. He was still sore about her taking it. She had returned it, quite promptly too. She didn't know why he was making such a fuss. She arranged her scarf along her shoulders and kept her smile as innocent or at least as mysterious as possible. His eyes narrowed. "Stop laughin' at Remy, cherie."

She grinned. "Ah ain't laughin', Sugar."

He held out his arm and she placed her hand in the crook. He didn't believe her for a second. She was definitely laughing at him underneath that Mona Lisa exterior. He wasn't going to push it however. The car was waiting. "Yah are on de inside." He said and escorted her to the door.

She grinned at him. "Ah can't deny it."

"Well stop."

"But yah grumpy is so cute." She fluttered her eyelashes.

"Absolutely cracked, cherie."

She laughed.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Rogue and Remy go on their romantic date and end up having a little discussion about addictions that leads to a certain challenge._


	13. Chapter 13

**Queen's High  
Chapter Thirteen: A Perfectly Pleasant Evening**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Remy and Rogue head north and decide to hit D.C. for a few days. Remy takes Rogue out for a nice dinner after which talk turns to addictions and challenges are issued.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Look! Look! We're over halfway there! (Just had to point this out.)

_To CaptMackenzie: Thank you! Lost and I found a couple of websites that have a great list of Cajun terms, most which I don't get to use in this story. Saddening! But hey, you noticed! Yay! I also noticed in the cartoon at least, they have him mispronouncing Cherie (and it's spelled wrong in the comics). I think they were going for Sha, but just missed entirely. A classic case of 'didn't do the research.' Oh well. Mais, Logan can't get back at Rogue! She keeps hanging up on him. And she keeps throwing him off balance (Logan does not handle change well) so it's harder for him to get back at her. Poor Logan. Thanks for reading and reviewing! And as usual, that goes out to all my readers anon or not!_

_

* * *

_

The uniformed female driver of the black Porsche Panamera opened the doors for them at the front of La Belle Fleur.

"Merci, Esme." Remy murmured.

She nodded at him and smiled at Rogue. "Have a nice evenin', Monsieur. Mademoiselle." She said. "Ah'll be back in a few hours." She got back into the car and drove off slowly.

Rogue tucked her hand into Remy's crooked arm. "Well, here we are." She said. She wasn't sure what to think about the car or the driver or the fact that Remy hadn't let go of her hand during the ride as she'd gawked out the thankfully tinted windows. She'd been correct in thinking that Remy's idea of nice was far above her own. She had a feeling he wouldn't rent a Lincoln Town Car. The Porsche had still been a surprise.

He smiled and led her inside. The maitre d' recognized him instantly and waved them past several waiting customers. "Monsieur Lebeau." He said with a smile and it faded. "I am so sorry about this afternoon." He murmured.

"It is fine, Nicolas." Remy waved a hand. "Yah have to hire new help at some time."

Nicolas smiled again. "Merci for bein' so understandin'. Please, follow me." He led them through the full but surprisingly not crowded dining room. There was plenty of room to walk between the round tables so much so that Rogue and Remy could walk side by side and not hit anyone. Nicolas opened a pair of French glass doors and gestured them through. "Leonide will be your server, if yah have any problems, Leon will be checking in on you." Nicolas bowed and closed the doors after them.

Rogue glanced around. Nicolas had led them to a balcony overlooking the river. Ivy grew over entwined over the wrought iron railing interspersed with tiny glittering lights. Out of sight of the door was a small table for two draped in a table clothe, several candles were already lit on its surface. Rogue bit the inside of her lip. Remy led her over and pulled out a chair, seating her. She smiled. Across her bread plate was a single red rose in full bloom. She picked it up. "For me?" She said looking up at him still behind her.

He leaned down and looked at her, eyes intense. "Oui."

Her heart pounded and she dropped her gaze. "Thank yah, Remy." She smiled, smelling it. "It's beautiful."

Remy's fingers tightened on the back of the chair. It wasn't as beautiful as she was. "De chocolates are for yah too, ma cherie." He said, spying the small but he could tell expensive box hiding under her folded napkin. He was going to have to thank Leon. Rogue's eyes lit up a little more and she picked up the napkin and set it on her lap absently as she studied the box.

Remy came around and sat down in the chair that was placed right next to hers rather than across the table. She opened it and sighed. "Ah really shouldn't ruin mah dinner."

He grinned. "Yah can if yah want."

She set the top back down over the chocolates. "Oui. If Ah wanted, but Ah shouldn't."

The door opened and a young man in the outfit of a waiter and the gawky awkwardness of a teenager came in tugging a cart behind him. He bowed to them. "Bonjour Madamoiselle, my name is Leonide." He reached into the cart and presented a wine bottle. "Papa recommends this wine with your dinner." He said and then flushed. "Leon recommends."

Remy grinned at him, amused. "De old man coerced yah into workin' here t'en, petit."

Leonide sighed. "Oui." He stopped and bit his tongue. He glanced at Rogue and then back at Remy. "He says it will be good learnin' for me."

"It is." Remy's eyebrows rose. "De wine looks fine. Merci, petit."

Leonide bowed again and set about serving the wine, which he managed without any mishaps. He then left tugging the cart after him.

Rogue's eyebrows rose and Remy chuckled. "Leonide is Leon's oldest son."

"Yah know the owner."

"How else do yah t'ink we got such fine reservations?" He smiled at her. "He'll be back soon wit' de meals and t'en Leon will leave us alone until he t'inks we're ready to leave and t'en badger us about de food and our trip."

Rogue half smiled. "Ah see."

"De expected answer is dat de food was awful and dat he could do so much bettah and de balcony is drafty and dat de atmosphere was off puttin'-" Remy rolled his eyes. Rogue covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. "Which keeps his ego satisfied dat everyt'in' we say is de opposite of what we really mean." He reached over and took her hand and leaned towards her. "Did Remy remember to tell yah dat yah are beautiful, ma cherie?"

Rogue's heart sped up again. "Yah did."

"Especially in de candle light?" His voice dropped lower.

She had to lean forward to hear him. "Yah forgot that bit."

"We didn't have candle light before."

She met his eyes. "We didn't."

"Well, yah are."

"Ah don't know if Ah ever told yah, Cajun, yah are pretty damn handsome."

"Remy don't t'ink yah told Remy."

"Ah really like yer eyes."

Surprise flickered through him. "Yah do?"

Rogue nodded. "Ah do."

He didn't have time to respond. The door opened again and Leonide walked back in carrying a large tray. Remy lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles as they drew apart. Leonide glanced up and flushed.

"Desole." Leonide murmured. He set the tray onto one shoulder and began pulling off items, first setting bread in the middle of the table, followed by two salads and then their plates. "Young Boar wit' Chocolate for the mademoiselle. Roast duck for you, monsieur."

"Merci, Leonide." Rogue smiled at him.

Leonide flushed again. "Chocolate Fondant for dessert." He said and set it off to the side with an urn. "Wit' café au lait." He finished, bobbed his head and retreated.

Rogue looked after him amused and then glanced down at her plate and up at Remy. There was toast in the shape of hearts with her boar. He met her gaze and she pressed her lips together to keep from smiling too hard. She picked up her fork.

* * *

In the car, Rogue opened the box of chocolate and looked through them. "Ah think this is chocolate overload, Cajun." She muttered.

Remy stroked up and down her leg and he looked over at her with a grin. "T'en why are yah still eatin' it, bebe?"

She looked up at him under her lashes, fingers poised over the squares. "Why do yah play cards?"

He didn't lose his grin. "Because Remy likes it."

"Non. Because yah are addicted."

In the driver's seat, Esme snickered.

Remy shot a glare at her and turned back to Rogue. "Remy don't t'ink it's like dat."

Rogue picked out a chocolate and held it up. "Yah just can't help yourself." She pressed the square to his lips. He opened them automatically and she slipped it inside his mouth. He chewed on it and tried to frown at her.

She picked out one for herself and ate it, her mouth forming around it, eyes closing. "Mmm."

Remy swallowed before he choked. Rogue didn't notice. She finished her chocolate and set the top back on the box. She moved a little closer to him to look out his window, pressing their thighs together.

She glanced at him.

He determinedly tried to remember the conversation before she'd distracted him. "Remy ain't addicted."

She grinned. "Which is why yah play every _single_ day."

"Remy ain't been playin' cards lately." He cupped her knee and glanced down as she crossed her legs, the lace of her slip showing against her stockings. "Remy has been playin' pool wit' yah."

"Only because yah haven't found a game to play." She raised her eyebrow. "Or asked me to play."

"Well, if ma cherie plays poker-" He paused. "Wait, what are we bettin'?"

Rogue's eyes narrowed. "Money, swamp rat."

"Money is too tame if Remy is gonna play wit' yah, river rat." He grinned at her.

Esme coughed as she tried not to laugh.

"Then we ain't playin'."

"Awww, cherie."

"And Ah'd win. Ah wear more clothes than yah do on a regular basis."

"Well if yah need de handicap."

Esme's jaw dropped as did Rogue's.

Rogue recovered first. "Ah do not!"

He grinned. "Really? Yah mean yah would play Remy fair."

Rogue swore internally and frantically backpedaled. "Ah still ain't playin' strip poker with yah. Yah can forget it."

"But now Remy is all curious to yer skills." He made the last word extremely suggestive.

Rogue flushed. "Ah ain't doin' it."

Remy lost his smile. "Ah won't touch yah, Marie."

Rogue stared at him, her pulse pounding.

Esme pulled the car over. "We're here, Monsieur."

"Merci, Esme." He said distractedly, opening the door. He got out, reaching a hand to help Rogue. Rogue took it, heart still pounding. He helped her from the car. Remy shut the door.

Esme rolled down the window. "Tell me how it turns out." She said and pulled away.

Rogue took a breath of the cooler night air. She tried to find her sanity, but he was still nearby. He took her hand and pressed his body against hers. "A one hand, winner takes all contest." Remy entwined their fingers. "Come on. It'll be fun."

Rogue bit her lip and tried to shake the temptation. He said he wouldn't touch her. Not that he could touch her to begin with, well, he could but he would get hurt and he said he wouldn't. Plus, if she won she'd get to see Remy, all of Remy. "What- what if Logan finds out?"

He shuddered. "Then we make sure never to tell Logan."

A thrill shivered down her back. "All right. Tonight. Before Ah lose mah nerve."

"Yah lose yah nerve? Remy don' believe it." He steered her towards the door of the club, nodding at the bouncer who nodded back. The sounds of jazz filled the club and Remy led her straight to the dance floor.

She looked around. "Ah don' know how to dance like this for real this time, Remy."

He pulled her close. "T'en Remy will teach yah a few steps."

She slid her hand up his arm and smiled. "All right."

* * *

Remy opened the hotel room door for Rogue and tried to keep the nervousness tamped down. He wasn't sure if it was Rogue's or if it was his and was sure it was actually a bit of both. Esme had taken one look at them outside of the club, shook her head and knew that they were going through with it. The closer they got to the hotel, the more nervous Remy became and the more second thoughts he had about going through with it. It was too soon, she didn't trust him that well and maybe he'd pressured her too much and so on and so forth until he'd almost asked Esme to run them around the block again just to give him time to come up with a way to gracefully bow out of it.

But as soon as he'd come to that decision, he'd caught Esme's knowing look and Rogue had expressed some relief at getting back to the hotel due to her still aching feet.

Rogue crossed the room and picked up his abandoned t-shirt off the floor. He shut the door behind him. He mentally cursed. She was going to wear it _again_ and drive him nuts.

Rogue reached around trying to get to her zipper as she kicked off her shoes and then with a growl of frustration she had learned from Logan, she gave up. "Remy, would yah unzip me?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Bien sur, ma cherie." He said and came up behind her. He pulled the zipper down and swallowed hard at the black lace and satin corset underneath. He stepped back but not without first getting his necklace.

She turned, rolling her eyes. "Ah would've given it back." She said and held up the dress with her arm. Steal it _once_ and he never trusted you again.

"Bon. But Remy made dat unnecessary."

"Merci, Cajun." She said and brushed past him to the bathroom. Remy watched her back and the tantalizing glimpses of her lingerie through the open zipper. The door closed and he ran a hand through his hair.

"Merde, Remy. What have yah gotten yerself into t'is time?" He muttered. His Marie was turning into quite the femme fatale with a penchant for motorcycles and chocolate. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt so he could put his necklace back on.

Rogue exited the bathroom a few minutes later, her dress draped over her arm. "Yer turn."

"Merci cherie." He murmured and fled the room and the impending events that were rushing down upon them that both could agree to stop at any time.

Rogue put her dress back into its bag and her gloves with her things and pulled out an unopened deck of cards of a brand she hadn't used to frustrate Remy with. She sat down on the floor, tucking her legs off to the side and waited trying not to think about what she was doing too much. Or how Logan would react.

Bobby hadn't once crossed her mind and still didn't.

Remy didn't make her wait too long. He dropped his clothes and shoes next to his duffle and stopped when he saw her sitting and waiting. She waved the deck at him. His eyes narrowed.

"Dat ain't?" He asked. He wasn't playing with a deck that she'd taken cards from.

"They're Ace. It ain't even opened."

His eyes narrowed. "How many packs of cards did yah _buy_, cherie?"

"Lessee, thirteen for each card in the suit and only some of those were single packs and then there were at least five brands Ah didn't use. So between twenty to thirty." She smirked at him. "And no, yah may not have them."

He dropped down into an indian style sitting position across from her. He stared at her. "Mon dieu." He murmured.

She slit the plastic with the knife she'd picked up off the obnoxious guy's buddy.

Remy got a hold of himself. Thirty decks of cards just to send him a simple little message? There had to have been an easier way. Her amusement washed over him and he decided that to her there hadn't been because she had been having far too much fun at his expense. He changed his mind from earlier. Marie could be a cruel, cruel woman.

He could deal with that.

Dieu, he even liked it a little bit.

"Texas Hold 'Em?" She asked and peeled off the plastic, opening the box and sliding the cards into her hand. She set the knife to the side.

"Bien." He muttered.

She grinned and fished out the jokers. She glanced at her hands and looked up at him. She set the deck on the floor and slid it over. He split it and slid it back to her. She shuffled the deck several times. He rested his chin on his hands and watched her deal him out the first card and then herself. She dealt him the other two cards and then dealt five cards into a pile and set the main deck to the side. She flipped the five cards over and spread them out.

He reached down and checked under the edges of his two cards and glanced up at her as she did the same. Her face didn't change. He looked at the community cards and worked out the probabilities and possible hands he could make in his head.

"Spread 'em, cherie." He said and smirked at her.

Her eyes jerked upwards and she flushed a bright red. "What?" Her jaw dropped open.

He snickered. "Yer cards."

She turned redder. "Yah, yah-" She glared at him. "Yer mind is in the gutter."

"Not t'is time." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Remy t'inks yah are bein' corrupted, cherie."

"Prolonged exposure to yah, sugar." She glowered and flipped her hole cards over. "Full house."

His mouth turned up into a lazy grin. "Four of a kind. Remy wins."

Her eyes narrowed. "Turn them o'er."

"Non. Remy don' have to." He smirked at her.

Rogue lunged forward and Remy barely had time to grab his cards and scramble backwards. "Cajun." She hissed.

He laughed and got his legs under him scrambling out of the way of her second lunge. The cards flew everywhere as the discard pile, her hand and the community pile became mixed together. He tumbled over a bed and got to his feet. "Remy won't show yah, cherie."

Rogue vaulted over after him. "Then Ah don' believe yah."

He grinned and scrambled out of the way back into the playing area. "Too bad." His feet kicked more cards around.

She hissed. "If yah don' show me yer cards, swamp rat, Ah ain't showin' yah anythin'."

"Dat weren't in de rules."

"Then be more specific." She smiled at him. "Now show me." She stalked around the bed towards him.

He couldn't keep the grin off of his face. "Non." He put the cards behind his back.

Rogue got as close as she could without touching him. "Just show me."

"Show yah what?" He asked and wiggled his eyebrows.

She flushed again. "Yer cards!"

"Oh, t'ose. Nah, don' t'ink Remy will." He smiled and dodged out of her way as she tried to make a grab for them, despite the fact her hands were bare and he was holding them behind his back. He laughed and between her trying to grab his cards and turning to follow him, he dropped the cards.

More cards skittered across the floor as Rogue chased him around the room. She finally trapped him in a corner.

He smirked at her. "Oui, cherie."

"The cards, sugar."

"What cards?"

Her eyes widened. "Yah dropped them!"

He glanced at the floor. "And Remy don' remember all of de community cards eit'er."

Rogue crossed her arms and took a step back. "Then Ah ain't showin' yah anythin' and yah ain't showin' me." She turned around and marched to her bed. "Good night."

Remy snickered and turned out the light before crawling into his own bed. He couldn't sleep. Like the night before, thoughts of Marie and his own imagination tormented him. He tossed and turned as the night deepened and finally drifted into a light doze when he felt it again.

Heart pounding, sword stabbing, blind terror.

He sat up and looked over at Marie. She tossed and turned in her bed, mouth working but nothing coming out. He got out of bed and bit his lip. He couldn't let her sleep like that. He inhaled, came over and touched her shoulder where it protruded out of the blanket and it took all of his enhanced reflexes to dodge out of the way when she woke instantly and attacked him. His back slammed into the opposite wall and they stared at each other the bed between them.

She blinked once. "Remy."

"Oui."

She raked her fingers through her hair. "Good reflexes."

"Merci."

"Maybe we should work out a safe shoulder or somethin'." She muttered and scrubbed her face with her finger pads.

He smiled at her weakly. "A safe shoulder requires rememberin'. Yah ain't rememberin' anyt'in' at dat point."

She stopped scrubbing and just covered her face, groaning. "Sure Ah am, Ah'm rememberin' everythin' bad of everybody else's life. That's all." She sank back to sit on the edge of her bed. Remy relaxed and came around his. His coat was closer than hers and he picked it up, came over and draped her shoulders with it, before putting an arm about her. She sighed and put her head on his shoulder, barely careful enough to remember to put her hair between her and his bare chest. "Ah don' even know what triggers them." She murmured.

He rubbed her back through the coat as her fright subsided. "Remy don' know."

"It ain't just their memories. It's often their fears, the ones where yah want to scream and can't." Rogue shuddered. "They all mix together and it's awful."

"Shh, it ain't real, cherie."

She half laughed. "Some of it ain't. Some of it's as real as yah and me." She sighed. "Thanks for wakin' me up, sugar."

"Merci for not breakin' Remy's arm." He grinned down at her. He sobered. "No one should have to dream like dat."

She nodded. "Ah'll try not to hurt yah next time." She blinked. "Yah will try to wake me again, right?" She looked up at him.

"Remy's not gonna make any everlastin' promises, but Remy will do what he can."

Rogue blinked. "Weren't lookin' forever and ever, just makin' sure Ah didn't scare yah too badly."

"It takes a little more t'an a single attack to scare Remy. Now Remy knows, move fast." He grinned at her. She laughed lightly. "Bettah, cherie?" He asked.

"Some." She sighed. "T'ere's no need to move yet."

"Remy will stay here as long as yah like."

She closed her eyes. "All right."

It was at least an hour before Rogue fell back asleep and he tucked her back under her covers still wrapped in his coat. He went back to his bed and curled up on his side to watch her. Amazingly, he managed to fall asleep.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next Time in Queen's High... Remy's family calls to give him some old fashioned ribbing and cause trouble._


	14. Chapter 14

**Queen's High  
Chapter Fourteen: Familial Love: Southern Style**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Remy and Rogue head north and decide to hit D.C. for a few days. Remy's family calls to cause trouble and to pass along a message and Rogue ends up meeting more of Remy's wacky "family."  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Eep! Another short chapter. In the first chapter I stated that this story is finished. I want to reiterate this. Queen's High is _finished._ I'm not writing as I'm going. It's _done._ I'm posting twice a week due to that fact. Any tinkering that I am doing is grammatical, spelling or accent related. I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

For once, it was Remy's phone that rang and interrupted their explorations. His ring tone was thankfully, not as obnoxious as Rogue's. She looked at it as he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Yah mean, that thin' actually works?" She said and smirked up at him.

His eyes narrowed at her. "Remy used it yesterday."

"Well, that just means it projects, Ah wasn't aware it received." She raised an eyebrow.

Remy wasn't sure why Rogue was comparing his cell phone to mutant powers and decided he just didn't want to know. He glanced at the caller ID. "Merde, home." He muttered and opened it anyways. "Allo."

"So, what are yah and Marie doin' in D.C., hmm?" Henri asked on the other end.

"Allo Henri." Remy sighed.

Rogue bit her lip. "Henri?"

"Mon frere." Remy said absently.

"Which one is he?" Rogue tucked her arm around his back.

"Which one?" Remy's brow furrowed until he remembered that Rogue had seen most of his family at least once. "Oh, right. Henri is de bald one."

"Hey!" Henri said on the other end.

"The one with the girlfriend with straight blonde hair." Rogue nodded. "Who is?"

"Ma soeur, Mercy." Remy answered.

"The red head?"

"A cousin, Emil."

"The male blonde?"

"Etienne, anot'er cousin."

"And the dark haired one."

"Theoren, Etienne's brother."

Henri interrupted. "Now dat she knows de names of most de famille, maybe Ah can talk to her and actually get some answers as to what yah are doin' in D.C."

"Desole Henri, was t'is call important?" Remy grinned.

"Oui! And Ah'm feelin' ignored." Henri sounded like he was pouting.

"Desole, desole." Remy tugged Rogue a little closer to avoid some of the crowd.

"So, are yah gonna answer mah question, mon frere?"

"Remy was hopin' to avoid it." Remy rolled his eyes.

"Yah took Marie to La Belle Fleur for dinner on de _balcony._" Henri said. "A flower, chocolates, de Guild car, goin' out for jazz?"

Remy sighed. "If yah already know what Remy is doin', why are yah callin'?"

"Remy, Remy, Remy." Henri tsked his tongue. "Are yah actually _romancin'_ de sweet Marie?"

"Remy ain't usin' Remy's credit card again if yah keep t'is up." Remy glowered.

"So, yah really are payin' for a room. And where is she stayin'?"

"Yah didn't read de register. Remy is shocked!"

"Mon dieu." Henri choked. "Mercy, Remy and Marie are sharin' de same room!"

Emil and Theoren started laughing in the background. Etienne whooped. "Go Remy!"

Remy flushed. "Henri, it ain't like dat and yah tell t'ose three jokers Remy hears in de background dat."

"Oh. No way in de depths of hell, mon frere." Henri sniggered.

It finally caught up with Rogue what they were talking about. "Remy." Her voice was a low warning. "What about de register at de hotel?"

Remy wanted to take a step to the side. He didn't dare. "Oh, ah-" He swallowed. "Remy's famille saw it."

Rogue's eyes widened. "How?"

"Uh-" Remy couldn't answer that without outing his family were Thieves and he was pretty sure Rogue didn't know that. Though _why_ she didn't know when she knew both Logan and Ororo was beyond him.

Henri started to laugh.

"Never mind, ain't important. Ah told yah Ah didn't like what yah did and now-" Rogue wiggled out of his arms to glare at him. "Yer _family_ has seen it and what are _they_ thinkin'?"

Remy dodged to the side to avoid an oncoming family that was trying to avoid the backwards walking Rogue. "Mais-"

"And yah were sayin' somethin' about _protectin'_ mah reputation." Rogue crossed her arms.

"Mais, de clerk has been especially nice." Remy muttered.

Henri covered the phone on his end and told the others what was happening.

"Ah don' care if the clerk is nice!" Rogue threw up her arms.

Remy glared at the phone. "Now see what yah've done. She's mad at me again."

"Mais, yah should listen to yer _wife._" Henri sniggered.

Remy's eyes closed. "Merde, merde, merde." He opened them so he wouldn't run into anyone or anything. "Yah didn't tell Papa?"

"Who do yah t'ink found t'is all out?" Henri tsked his tongue again.

Remy whimpered.

Rogue took a step closer to him. "Are yah listenin' to me, swamp rat?"

Remy looked at her. "Remy's tryin' to figure out how to strangle mon frere and listen to yah at de same time, ma cherie river rat."

Henri choked.

"Sugar." Rogue crossed her arms. "Forget yah brother. Ah'm right here and Ah want to know what's goin' on."

"Mon pere knows about de register too." Remy's eyes widened. "Remy didn't t'ink t'ey would get dat nosey, Remy swears."

"My work here is done. Yah two have fun." Henri finally gave into his laughter and hung up.

Remy took his phone away from his ear and stared at it. "He _hung_ up." He whispered. "De brat." He looked at Rogue. "He just called to cause trouble, cherie."

Rogue made an inarticulate noise in the back of her throat and dropped back to walk beside him. "Sugar, they _saw_ the register and yer little lie."

"T'ey know dat Remy wouldn't get married wit'out all of dem dare." Remy said. "T'ey know how D.C. is."

She rolled her eyes. "They also think somethin' else." She gave him a significant glance.

"So?"

"So!" Rogue's eyes widened. "If Logan _thought_ that, yah would be _lunch_. Yah family thinks that and it's 'So?'"

He took her hand. "T'ey don' know about yer mutation, cherie. So of course t'ey are gonna t'ink dat." He squeezed her hand. "And really, de more Remy protests about it, de less t'ey are gonna believe Remy." He made a face. "Dat's de way it works."

"And if Ah said somethin'?"

"Depends on who yah got. None of de cousins would believe yah. Mercy would. Henri is iffy. Papa would. Tante Mattie too."

"Ah knew that was gonna bite me in the ass." Rogue muttered. "Ah should've spoke up faster."

The phone rang again. Remy opened it back up. It was Henri again. He was positive. "What?"

"Oh, and Tante Dorot'ee says dat if yah don' bring Marie for a visit, she's gonna whoop dat ass of yers. She has t'eatre tickets for yah." Henri said and hung back up.

Remy sighed and looked at Rogue, putting his phone away. "How do yah feel about Cajun cuisine?"

Rogue furrowed her brow. "Do Ah get a choice?"

"Non. Not really."

"Do Ah have to dress up?"

"Oui." He smiled. "T'ough not so much as last night."

Rogue nodded. "Good. We can still go see the National Arboretum."

Remy laughed and let her lead the way.

* * *

Tante Dorothee wrapped Remy in a big hug, pressing to her over ample bosum before leaning back and kissing him on both cheeks. "Remy, honey child, yah didn' t'ink dat yah could visit de Capital wit'out visitin' me."

"Non, Tante."

Rogue hung back and clasped her clutch. She hoped that Dorothee wouldn't be as demonstrative with her as she was with Remy. Dorothee's attention turned to her and she let Remy go and held her hands out towards Rogue.

"And yah must be Marie." Dorothee smiled at her.

Rogue glanced at Remy before coming forward and taking her hands. "A pleasure to meet yah."

Dorothee squeezed her hands. "And yah, honey child." She turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Remy. "A Sout'ern belle wit' manners, yah best keep t'is one."

Remy flushed a little. "Oui, Tante."

"Hmph." Dorothee turned back to Rogue. "He's an utter rascal, complete scoundrel. Ah would t'ink dat Mattie would have taught him bettah." She let one of Rogue's hands go and patted the other one. "He just needs a lady wit' a firm hand to keep him in line."

Remy's eyes widened. "Tante!"

"Yah know it's true." Dorothee drew Rogue further into the dimly lit restaurant. Rogue widened her eyes and looked over at Remy. 'Rascal,' She mouthed. He looked upwards and shook his head. When she caught his gaze again she mouthed 'Scoundrel?' He shrugged. Rogue rolled her eyes and smirked at him. Dorothee wasn't done. "Ah found de best seat in de house by sittin' in dem all and set it aside for yah as soon as Ah heard." She let Rogue go and glanced sharply at Remy. "Honey child, seat de lady."

Remy grinned and bowed at Dorothee. "Bien sur." He said and pulled Rogue's chair out for her.

Dorothee nodded. "Ah see all dem lessons weren't wasted." She clapped her hands. "Dinner is served." She said and walked off so that the servers could bring in their trays.

Remy sat next to Rogue and watched them set down plates in front of them.

Rogue leaned over and murmured. "But we didn' order."

"Tante Dorot'ee knows what yah want." He said back. "Best not to argue wit' her."

Rogue's lips parted a little and she nodded. "How did she know mah name?"

"De rumor mill has been workin' overtime." Remy grimaced. A server held out a bottle of wine towards him and he nodded. The server started pouring. Remy continued talking to Rogue. "Remy t'inks we are de biggest topic right now."

"And yah just provided them a big juicy bit this afternoon." She glared at him.

"Non. Dat was de day before yesterday." He grinned at her. "We just found out about it t'is afternoon." He settled a hand on her thigh. "My famille don' gossip about t'in's like dat outside of de immediate famille, cherie. Don' worry."

She sighed. "Yah best be right, cause as soon as Ah get a hold of one of dem, dat rumor is gonna be dead, sugar."

"But- but, Remy's reputation." He pouted.

"Remy, mah mutation makes it not possible. End of story." She rolled her eyes. "Ah'm sure yah famille will understand _that._"

Remy bit his tongue about how he didn't think it was that clear cut regarding her mutation. He faked a large sigh. "T'en maybe Remy can milk it for some sympat'y."

"When do Ah get sympathy?" Rogue scowled.

Remy winced a little. He'd walked straight into that. "Desole, cherie. Remy wasn't t'inkin' wit' his brain." He put his arm about her and drew her close.

"Yah sure weren't." She muttered and poked his chest.

He wanted to offer her hope. He wanted to say that he thought that she wasn't going to be cut off for the rest of her life, maybe not even for the rest of the year if she put her mind to it. He just wasn't sure now was the time. He had a theory but he wasn't absolutely sure yet. "Remy knows it's hard."

"Damn straight."

"But we've got good food. And Remy knows where yah hid yer chocolates and de hotel has a bathtub."

Rogue sighed. "But Ah got no bubbles. It ain't the same."

"Dat can be fixed." He stroked her hair. "After de t'eatre."

"We're goin' to the theatre?"

"Oui."

Rogue eyed the food. "So Ah suppose we should eat."

"Oui."

She sighed and sat up. "Okay, Cajun, what's good?"

He sniffed. "It's _all_ good. Ot'erwise, dat would be insultin' Tante Dorot'ee's cookin'."

Rogue grinned. "And that would be bad."

"Terrifyin'." Remy filled a fork and held it to her lips. She raised an eyebrow, laughed a little and went with it.

* * *

After the theatre, they got into the car. Esme looked up and smiled at them. She pulled out into traffic and asked, knowing they hoped she had forgotten.

"So, who won?"

Rogue and Remy both blushed and refused to say.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Rogue makes a decision, her and Remy argue and things change as things do._


	15. Chapter 15

**Queen's High  
Chapter Fifteen: Changes**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** In the city of brotherly love, Remy manages to find something a little different for them to do, Rogue acts on her thoughts about change and Remy gets a little daring as he acts on feelings he has towards Rogue that aren't exactly brotherly.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. So, well, I was going to actually write the haunted house scene (you'll see) and then completely forgot. But I sneaked the short version in. Alas, not enough notes! As for the red reference, think Florence from Florence and the Machine. Good songs by her are Drumming and Cosmic Love and she has beautiful red hair and an amazing voice. I recommend her.

Somewhere, somehow around Philly, Remy had found an actual carnival style funhouse full of mirrors. Of course, that had meant finding an actual carnival. It was a nice switch from the museums and historic places they'd been visiting for most of the day and keeping Remy from sticking his fingers in the Liberty Bell or making rude commentary at the Continental Congress.

Rogue posed in front a particularly wavy mirror and laughed at her reflection.

"Cherie, yah are not meant to be a hobbit." Remy snickered.

Rogue leaned forward and pulled her hair up around her ears. She turned to him and grinned. "Yah know, Ah've been thinkin'."

"T'is worries Remy."

"Hush, swamp rat. Ah was thinkin' about doin' something different wit' mah hair. What do yah think? Short good?" She struck a pose making sure to keep her hair above her ears.

Remy's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged outwards as his sunglasses dropped down his nose. "No!" He hadn't been this scared when they'd been in the 'haunted' house clinging to each other refusing to admit they were scared and retaliating being nervous on the house actors. He had been the scariest thing in the building after all.

Rogue snickered. She wasn't that daring to go from waist length to super short but his reaction. He continued to sputter. She giggled and dropped the strands and laughed at him. "Ah wouldn't do that!" She picked up the ends and looked at them. "T'ough a trim to get rid of the splits wouldn't go amiss." She turned back to the mirror and snickered as he snapped his jaw shut.

"Merci Dieu." He muttered. He loved her long hair, she wouldn't… she couldn't cut it. Thank God that she hadn't been serious.

She turned her head back and forth. "Maybe a color change?" She sighed. "Ah just don' know." She'd been thinking about it on and off for over a week and still hadn't been able to make a decision.

Remy came and hugged her from behind, daring to plant a kiss on her shoulder. "Yah are belle just de way yah are, ma cherie."

She cocked her hips to the side. "Ah know that, sugar." She sighed. "Ah just feel it's time for a change." She needed something more symbolic than clothes to signify to herself that her time with Bobby was over. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and didn't say anything. She knew Remy wouldn't understand. He probably had part of the same problem that Bobby did. Bobby remembered her from when she first came to the institute, terrified, a bit malnourished and fighting all the voices in her head all the time. When he'd kissed Kitty. She'd almost, almost walked through those clinic doors and taken the so called 'Cure' just so she could touch again and be the girl that Bobby wanted. Then sense had prevailed and Logan's voice had raged in her head that if Bobby wasn't going to take her as she was, then Bobby was to blame. She didn't need to be scared of losing Bobby. She didn't need to be scared of losing anybody just because of her mutation. She didn't need to be scared.

She'd gone back to the mansion and waited until they'd returned from Alcatraz, accosted Bobby about Kitty and then went to Logan and asked for lessons in how to defend herself. She wasn't going to cower behind things anymore.

And that's when it started, really. Bobby started seeing her as two people. There was his girlfriend, Marie and then in the Danger Room or on a mission, there was Rogue. He couldn't handle it. They'd even argued about it. He accused her of becoming harder, jaded, not the girl he was dating and she'd tried to make him see by pointing out that to him Logan didn't change outside of the danger room, Ororo didn't change, Kitty didn't change, _he _didn't change, why should she change. She had _always_ been Rogue. Rogue just happened to be named Marie.

Bobby didn't get it.

She'd given up in disgust.

She should have dumped him right then. It'd only gotten worse. She'd become more and more capable of a fighter and closer to being Logan's second and he became more uptight and rule bound and stuck on this idea that Rogue was just a soldier, a face and Marie was the real person.

To Bobby, Rogue didn't really exist.

Remy's arms gradually wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer as he felt sadness and depression roll over her.

She reached out towards the mirror and the woman being held by the man in it. "Ah just need a change." She said. "And not the hobbit short kind." She half grinned and let her thoughts go, dropping her arm.

He snickered. "It's yer hair. Remy don' really have a say in de matter." He nuzzled the top of her head. "T'ough Remy loves yer long hair, ma cherie."

Rogue sighed. "Maybe a color change then, if Ah ain't gonna cut it. Well, maybe Ah could style it different, but it just don't seem-"

"Drastic?" Remy supplied.

"Enough. Yeah." She bit the inside of her lip. "Ah need girlfriends, swamp rat. Ah really think Ah do."

"Don' yah have any of t'ose?" Remy frowned. Surely, she had at least one or two girlfriends.

"They ain't here." Rogue pointed at the ground.

Remy rocked on his heels. "Ma soeur has a stylist in de city."

She leaned her head back to look at him. "Yah sure it ain't yers?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Positive."

Rogue reached up and rubbed his cheek. "Or that yah at least don' share?"

He grinned. "Remy don' share wit' Mercy." He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. "But Mercy won' see anyone else in de Nort'east outside her stylist in New York. Maybe she'll have some ideas."

'Huh." Rogue slipped her hand down to his shoulder. "Yah sure Mercy won't mind sharin' with me?"

"Remy can call and find out?"

"Not necessary. Look what happened the _last_ time yah talked to yer family." She glared at him by way of the mirror. "Let's finish the funhouse first, then we'll go." She nodded.

"Right, cause Remy wants to see de taffy pull look on yah."

"Taffy pull?"

"Charlie and de Chocolate Factory?"

"Oh thanks a lot, Cajun. Ah tried to block most of that movie out of my memory banks."

Remy sniggered.

* * *

Mercy's stylist, a tall statuesque woman with olive skin, sat Rogue down into one of her seats and started pumping it upwards. She'd introduced herself as Carmen and looked the part with long black hair down to her waist, almond shaped brown eyes and a tendency to wear bright red.

"Okay, sweetie, you say you want a change, but what do you mean?" She asked and laid Rogue backwards.

"Ah just feel like a change." Rogue shrugged.

Carmen turned her head. "Remy, go get a cup of coffee and take your time about it." She ordered. Rogue's eyes widened as Remy got up and left. Carmen nodded and headed for the shampoo. "You feel like a change?"

Rogue swallowed. "Ah haven't talked about it."

"Well, it's about time you did." Carmen nodded and began to work both water and the shampoo through Rogue's hair. "You can't hold it in forever."

"Ah guess." Rogue closed her eyes and worked against the lump in her throat. "Ah broke up wit' my boyfriend recently. He was cheatin' on me and Ah don' know how _long_ he was but it don' matter. Ah just need a change to say that Ah ain't the same person who was goin' out wit' him. But Ah don' wanna chop my hair clean off either."

Carmen nodded. "Sounds like my deadbeat ex husband. So, how did you end up hanging around Mercy's future brother, sweetie?"

Rogue furrowed her brow completely confused. Remy had made it sound like Mercy was his sister, said and done. She'd said girlfriend and then he'd said sister so she'd assumed Mercy and Henri were already married. "Future brother? He makes it sound like they're family already."

Carmen went for some conditioner and snickered. "Oh, they are, Mercy has been part of the Lebeau household for years. Jean-Luc, Remy's father, was going to adopt her but she and Henri took a shine to each other. Mattie said it was meant to be and so they've been planning a wedding ever since."

"Oh. His family just gets stranger and stranger." Rogue muttered. "Ah was sent to offer Remy a job."

"Just after you broke up with your boyfriend?" Carmen's eyebrow rose.

"Ah did that on the way down." Rogue smirked. "Text message."

Carmen's hands paused mid-air. She laughed. "You are cruel, woman. I like that."

"So Remy and Ah are takin' the long way back up to where we're goin'."

"And please don't tell me you've fallen for his charming ways." Carmen shook her head.

Rogue blushed. "A little. He's a lot different than my ex." Rogue bit her lip. "And it's partially my fault anyways that he's actin' the way he is. Ah took a bit of my anger out on him and lead him on a bit without him realizin' that it just ain't gonna work." She still didn't think Remy realized that her in the status of a couple wasn't possible.

"And he's pretty soothing to be around after a tough breakup." Carmen paused. "And no, I haven't ever been with Remy." She shuddered. "Way too young for me."

"Oh the breakin' up weren't tough." Rogue muttered, not really hearing or caring about the second parts of Carmen's statements.

"Well, you haven't been back home to deal with the fallout yet." Carmen sat her up and toweled off her hair. "Okay, here's my recommendation, a trim and then we go red."

"Ah want to keep my stripes. Ah _earned_ those."

Carmen nodded. "I had a feeling you would. That's why I didn't suggest black. You have the skin tone for it, but black and white can say three things, witchy, emo and bride of Frankenstein. And sure, you'd have a guaranteed costume for Halloween but that is not what we're going for here."

Rogue laughed. "No." She took a breath. "Red is fine. Ah don't think Ah could go stand blonde," Or green, or light mousy brown.

"The girl he cheated on you with." Carmen made a noise in the back of her throat. "Typical male." Carmen took the towel off and lifted up Rogue's hair. "I was thinking a nice, orangey fiery red."

Rogue nodded. "A blue red would be bad. There's some bad associations with it where Ah work. Plus, Ah don' think Ah've seen a shade that looks natural."

"Me either and I put that color in at least once a week." Carmen picked up the comb and drew it down Rogue's hair working out any knots. She looked up at Rogue in the mirror. "And why do you think you and Remy won't work? He seems pretty sweet on you."

"Ah-" Rogue winced and glanced at the latex gloves that Carmen was wearing. "It's complicated."

Carmen shook her head. "It ain't that complicated. I know he's a mutant but-" She shrugged.

If Remy being a mutant was the most of her problems, Rogue rolled her eyes internally. It was her own mutation that kept her away. "Ah can't touch folks." Rogue said quietly. "Ah hurt them and Ah don' want to hurt anyone, most of all Remy."

Carmen paused and snorted. "And that right there is why it will work, sweetie." She set to work on Rogue's hair.

* * *

Remy tried to remember he was smooth, that he was suave and charming and all those things that handsome fairy tales princes were in books. He failed utterly. His cherie, his Queen of Hearts had stunned him yet again.

He still wasn't used to the feeling.

Rogue strutted across the linoleum, her new fiery orange red hair glinting under the fluorescents, the large curls at the bottom swaying with her walk. She stopped in front of him smirking and ran a gloved finger along his jaw and pressed it upwards under his chin. "Cat got yer tongue, Cajun?"

He slid his hand around her waist, splaying his hand on the small of her back. "Yah are gorgeous, bebe." He murmured. He reached up with his other hand and brushed her hair back from her face. Rogue flushed, but didn't look away from his eyes. "How much does Remy owe yah, Carmen?"

Rogue stiffened. "Ah can cover it." She said.

"And Remy wants to."

"A hundred fifty." Carmen said. "And a promise to treat Marie right."

Remy tore his eyes away from Rogue's, feeling insulted. "Remy always treats de ladies right."

"Ah can pay, Carmen." Rogue twisted a bit in his arm to look at her. "He don' have too. Ah didn't come here because he was payin'."

Carmen waved a hand. "Let him pay, sweetie."

"But-" Rogue twisted back. "Cajun-"

Carmen continued. "I don't want a promise about treating the ladies right, I want a promise about _this_ lady."

"Bebe, best give in to de inevitable." Remy pulled out his wallet. "Because Carmen won' accept yer money."

"Damn straight." Carmen nodded.

Rogue looked back over her shoulder at her. "But-"

"And Ah promise to treat Anna Marie proper and right." Remy said, throwing Carmen a bunch of money.

Carmen grinned as she caught it. "Thank you very much, Remy. You two have a lovely evening and it was wonderful meeting you, Marie."

"Thank yah for everyt'in' Carmen." Rogue turned her head back towards Remy. "Ah'll pay yah back, sugar."

"Cherie, yah will not. Yah don' even know how much money Remy gave Carmen." Remy grabbed her hand. "Let's go dancin'." He swung her around in a half step towards the door.

She laughed. "Remy!"

* * *

The deep basso notes of the music thrummed through the floor and everyone's bodies on the dance floor. Rogue laughed as Remy spun her around closer to his body, her hair flying and slightly tangled. He ran a hand down her back. She grinned up at him. A tingle ran along her back where he touched her. She hadn't felt this good, ever. She felt wild. She felt bold. She ran her hand along his chest and with her head tilted back she rubbed her body against his.

Remy's heart pounded and his eyes narrowed. That… that was too far. She pushed him with her tight leather pants and her barely there tops and her wearing his t-shirt and that glorious hair and her rubbing up against him was just too much.

He didn't really even think about it. He could read her emotions. They fizzled like fine champagne over his brain. She wasn't expecting anything. There wasn't a hint of nervousness or fear about her.

He leaned his head down and pressed his lips gently to hers. She melted against him, eyes closing. Dieu, she was sweet, her lips smooth and soft. He slid his hand under her shirt and rubbed circles with his thumb on her back as he lingered over her lips. He pulled away slowly, making sure his hand ended back on safer clothed territory just in case.

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at him. Shock stalled her brain and then she shoved away from him. She didn't even notice that she hadn't absorbed him.

He'd kissed her. He'd _kissed_ her. He knew her mutation and he'd still done it and she could have _killed_ him! He was so _stupid!_ Her eyes narrowed and she turned around and stalked out of the club. If she stuck around, she was going to break something of his. She began to swear under her breath, accent thickening.

Remy swore as well and went after her.

They got out the door and onto the street, both swearing and their accents getting thicker the further they got away from the door.

"Cherie!" Remy caught up with her.

She took a sharp turn to the left into an alley. "Ah ain't talkin' wit' yah."

He swore again and glared at the sky, following her down the dark and dirty alley. "Oui, yah are, or at least yah bettah!"

Rogue spun about. "Ah could have _killed_ yah, yah great idiot!"

"But yah didn'!" Remy screamed back, placing his feet six inches from hers.

"Dat don' matter, are yah suicidal or somet'in'?"

"Only if wantin' to kiss yah is suicidal, cherie!"

"It is! T'is ain't some sort of joke." She waved a hand at him. "Ah don' want anot'er person settin' up in mah head!"

"Ah ain't even treatin' it dat way! Remy knows dat powers ain't a jokin' mattah."

"Then act like it, yah yah- argh, swamp rat!" Rogue stomped her foot. She wanted to punch him or something so that he would see sense. "And don' touch me."

"But Remy can touch yah!"

"No. Yah can't."

"Oui, Remy can. Ah have been touchin' yah all _week_ cherie."

She stared at him for a moment and then hissed. "Don' yah lie to me, Remy Lebeau."

"Ah swear, Ah ain't lyin'." He wanted to reach out and touch her, grab her and shake her. She'd probably break his arms. He refrained. "Ah wouldn't lie to yah 'bout dat."

"Ah absorb folk in _mah sleep_, Cajun."

"Remy used to blow up t'in's in Remy's sleep. Dat's just a lack of control issue and yah can have dat, yah can have control." He reached his hand out and cupped the air less than an inch from her cheek. "Yah can have control." He repeated.

She stared at him, emerald eyes far too wide. "Ah- Ah can't."

"Not if yah say it like dat. It's just an emotional hiccup."

Her face twisted. "Emotional hiccup? All mah problems and yah are saying it's just an emotional hiccup?"

He sighed and didn't dare look away from her. "It's like yer ridin' a horse. Yah ride horses?" He asked. She nodded. "Yah powers, dey are dat horse and yah are de rider and yer sendin' dem mixed messages. Yah want to touch, cherie. Remy knows how much you want to touch, can't escape knowin'. And t'en yah are afraid, nervous, antsy when it comes to de touchin'. Yah don' wanna hurt folk and yah worry so much about dem getting' into yer space. Yah are sayin' no and go at de same time and de horse senses your nervousness and yer fear is stronger than yer wants and so de horse goes. Yer powers can't tell de difference between fear of bein' hurt and fear of hurtin' ot'ers. It's like yah are tuggin' on the reins with yer wants and squeezin' at de knees wit' yer fear." He carefully put a hand on her waist and tugged her closer. "And all de emotions are confusin' de part that controls yer power." He tapped his head.

"Yah are insane."

"De good type Remy hopes." He said and pressed his lips to hers again and pulled away as her panic assaulted him. "Cherie, yah are panicking."

She licked her lips. "Mah lipstick's gone." She muttered and flushed. His eyebrow rose. She looked away. "It ain't like Ah haven't _tried_ to get around it before, just-" she sighed. "They are usually temporary and wear off unless it's like a silk scarf or somethin'. And that sort of defeats the purpose." She finished in a mumble and glanced up at him.

"Yah have tried thin's." He said and started to rub his hands along her body over her clothes, hoping to distract her.

Rogue flushed. "Just wit' the kissin'." She inhaled. "He weren't brave enough to go any further."

"Stupid him." Remy muttered. He caught her eyes. "Well, he is."

She half grinned. "Ah thought so too. So, what did yah do when yah were constantly blowin' thin's up?"

"Remy had folk to tell him constantly, 'Remy, yah are chargin' thin's.' 'Remy, yah are chargin'.' 'Remy!'" Remy sighed. "Remy stopped sleepin' so t'ey took turns watchin' o'er Remy at night so Remy could get some sleep."

"But yah can't see emotions." She said. She conceded to put a hand on his arm.

"Remy can feel dem." He smirked at her.

"Yah really t'ink it will work." She tried not to sound as lost and hopeful as she felt in that moment. She wanted to be strong and confident. She didn't want to be scared anymore. She just needed the reassurance.

Remy wasn't hesitant to provide it. "Remy knows. Every time Remy touched yah and yah didn't notice, Remy wasn't absorbed. Every time Remy went to touch yah and yah did notice. Remy was smart enough not to touch yah."

Rogue giggled. "Ah should've noticed. Logan might have a talkin' with me about that."

"Only if Logan finds out." Remy shuddered.

"How many secrets are we gonna keep from Logan?"

"As many as we can, ma cherie." Remy murmured, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers gently and pulled away almost as soon as he had touched her, just enough that their lips didn't touch.

She blinked and sighed. "Yah are scarin' the hell out of me, sugar."

"Non. Remy ain't." He grinned. "Remy t'inks yah like it."

Rogue flushed. "Maybe."

"So, if yah reapply yer lipstick, can we go back inside and finish our date?" Remy murmured.

Her eyes widened. "Date?"

"We've kissed, t'is has officially crossed into date territory." He grinned.

She bit the inside of her lip. Dating Remy. It didn't sound as a bad as an idea that it could have been, especially if he was suicidal enough to try to keep touching her. "Are we gonna keep that a secret from Logan too?"

"Keep what?"

"That we're datin'."

"We are?" His brow furrowed.

Rogue swayed back and forth. "Lessee, we got each other flowers. Yah keep takin' me out to dinner and dancin'. Ah bought yah a pretty trinket. Yah bought me chocolates. We're kissin'. Ah think it qualifies as datin', sugar."

Remy stared at her a little stunned. He hadn't dated anyone, at least not anyone seriously since Bella Donna. He shifted his feet. "Yah mean, if Remy asked, yah would date Remy?"

Her eyelashes lowered. "If yah asked."

His eyebrow rose. "So, Marie, will yah date me?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "Sure will, Remy."

He grinned. "Yah are too nervous to kiss cherie."

"Damn it." She scowled.

"And Remy t'inks, we should let Logan figure it out on his own."

Rogue thought about that for a few seconds and grinned. "That sounds like a fun plan to me."

He figured she was distracted enough, and so he did manage to kiss her.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Remy calls home to taunt Henri and share his exciting news, Rogue distracts Logan from asking questions about her and Remy and something about a Ferris Wheel._


	16. Chapter 16

**Queen's High  
Chapter Sixteen: A Different Type of Thrill**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** Remy calls home with news to share, Logan finds out saying Sorry won't kill him and at Hershey's Rogue learns the true purposes of a ride she never thought was thrilling until now.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink.

Remy sat at the counter of an all night greasy spoon, a cup of coffee in front of him, a lit cigarette in the nearest ash tray and the folded morning paper off to the side. He glanced at the clock and tapped his foot on the stool as he shuffled the marked suit that Marie had given him in his hand.

The clock struck the six o'clock hour.

Remy grinned, pulled out his phone and used speed dial and waited. The phone rang several times and Henri answered on the other end with a rough, "What do yah want?"

"Bon matin, Henri." Remy grinned. "Guess what?"

"It's an ungodly hour."

"Pbthh, it's only six. Dat's not it." Remy picked up his cigarette and took a drag. "Remy and Marie are datin'. Au revoir."

"Wait! Don' yah dare hang up!"

Remy smirked at the phone. "Oh, are yah awake now?"

"Oui. Now what did yah really call to tell me?"

Remy frowned. "Dat Remy and Marie are datin'." He tried not to pout. Henri didn't believe him.

"It's been less than a week." Henri said slowly.

"Oui." Remy's brow furrowed.

"So, not only are yah havin' sex..."

"Non." Remy interrupted. "No. We aren't. We just shared de room." Remy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He should have known that his own reputation was going to come and bite him when they did that. There hadn't been much choice, but he should have known what his family would think. "It's complicated and Remy ain't explainin' 'cause it ain't Remy's to tell. We're just datin'. And Marie t'inks Remy's mind is in de gutter." He finished in a mutter.

"Yah two are really datin'."

"Oui and dat's _it._" Remy emphasized.

"As in yah are serious 'bout t'is one."

"Oui." Remy wasn't sure where his brother was going with this.

"And it's been less t'an a week."

"What does dat have to do wit' anyt'in'?" Remy took another drag off of his cigarette.

"Mon frere, given dat Ah've seen yah go through a woman for each day of de week in de same amount of time. Ah reserve de right to be skeptical of t'is claim dat yah are serious. Granted, Marie is a belle femme even by yer standards and Ah wouldn't want to make dat mademoiselle angry at me due to size and weight of Julien's cast, but t'ose arguments are more in de favor of de mademoiselle and not yah."

Remy put the cigarette back in the ashtray and covered his eyes with his hand. "Henri, Ah'm serious. Marie and Ah are datin' and Ah want to make t'is work."

"Now Ah believe yah."

"Yah can be such a killjoy." Remy said.

"Awww." Henri said. "Poor baby." Remy heard someone say something in the background. Henri put his hand over the phone and replied. Then Remy heard "Hey!"

Mercy squealed as it sounded like she was shoving her fiancé away. "Yah and Marie are datin'! Henri, back off, Ah want to talk to Remy now."

Remy's lips twitched. "Ouias. We're datin'."

"Details. Tell me! Tell me." Mercy said quickly.

"Ah want to hear!" Henri shouted in the background.

"Ah'll put it on speakerphone yah great dope." Mercy giggled. She stopped. "Wait, we gotta tell de ot'ers." She said. Remy snickered as in the background he heard Emil start complaining about the noise and Etienne and Theoren joining in. Mercy hushed them. "Remy and Marie are datin' and he's gonna tell us all de details."

"Only if yah insist." Remy grinned.

"Go Remy!" Emil shouted and whooped in laughter as it sounded like someone threw something at him, most likely one of Henri's pillows.

"Merci Emil, Remy is quite happy too." Remy spun on his stool and then spun back.

"Oohhh." Mercy taunted and then laughed. "Now tell."

Remy laughed too and gave a very edited version of what had happened as they made commentary in the background.

* * *

Rogue looked into her bathroom mirror, half of her hair in one hand as she piled it on her head. She bit her lip and looked at the style from different angles before letting it go as her phone rang.

She checked the I.D. just in case it was Remy calling to ask her something, but it was someone else. Someone who hadn't called in a few days, not since he'd tried to ruin her fun back in Washington, no less. _Badger._

She sighed and picked up the phone and went back to trying to style her hair with her new color just to see how things would look. "Mornin' Logan."

"Mornin'." He paused. "Look, kid, I'm not good at these. I'm sorry. You're an adult and I don't have a say in how you spend your time outside of work."

"And sometimes not even then." Rogue reminded him. He wasn't her boss, really. Xavier was the one who not only paid the bills but did the payroll.

"Yeah. So, I'm sorry."

"And I forgive you." Rogue twisted her hair up in another way and turned to try and look over her shoulder at it without any success. She needed another mirror. Something bigger than the hand mirror she used to check her lipstick.

"You're worryin' me a bit, first this thing with Bobby…"

Rogue blinked. She hadn't thought much about Bobby in days. Sure, she'd talked to Carmen about it, but it hadn't been that big of a deal. "What about Bobby?" She said in a musing voice.

"You wantin' to kill him."

"Oh, that." Rogue shrugged. "Ah don't care anymore." She said and sighed, her mind not at all on the conversation with Logan. She needed bobby pins, damn it. She couldn't really do anything with her hair without them and Logan had run her out the door. No jewelry, no bobby pins, she was not prepared.

"Are you sure you are all right, Marie?" Logan sounded concerned, completely unaware that she was sighing out of vanity and not out of depression.

"Ah'm fine." Rogue dropped her hair and gave up. Reaching for her brush to get the few tangles she'd created out. She grinned at her reflection in the mirror. She was more than fine. She had a new look and a new man or maybe that should be the other way around. Remy was slightly more important than her new wardrobe and hair color. So she had a new _man_ and a new look.

"Where's Remy?"

"Oh, Ah heard his door shut at 'bout four. Woke me up. Ah think he's out gettin' coffee." Rogue shrugged. "Good coffee and not that swill that some places serve." She shuddered. "We should be home late afternoon, early evenin' tomorrow, most likely after dinner."

"Tomorrow?" Logan leapt upon it.

"Mmmhmm." Rogue set her brush down and checked her makeup one more time. She shut her case and picked it up to put in her duffle. "After dinner. We'll probably leave Six Flags about five or six." She paused. "Maybe a bit earlier. It depends on how thin's go."

"I'll tell the professor." Logan cleared his throat. "Everyone's been missin' you up here, Stripes."

Rogue grinned. He was trying to guilt trip her and get out of saying that he missed her all at the same time. He should know better than that (because she saw right through the latter). She had learned how to manipulate before she could toddle. "Yah know what Ah've missed, Logan?"

"What?"

"Mah bed."

He laughed. "All right. We'll see you tomorrow."

Rogue rolled her eyes and shut her phone, just as Remy knocked on the door between their rooms.

"Coffee, ma cherie?"

"It ain't locked, sugar." She said and turned.

The knob turned and he backed in, a cup of coffee in his hands. "Just makin' sure." He said. She raised an eyebrow as he came over to her. He handed the cup and as her fingers curled around it, he leaned down and stole a kiss. "Bon matin."

She blinked and smiled at him. "Mornin'." She took a sip of the coffee and sighed. "Mmm, so good." She lowered her eyelashes and looked up at him. "Logan called. Ah told him we'd be home tomorrow."

"Good diversion." He grinned.

"Ah thought so, Cajun." She smirked.

"Shall we find some diversions of our own 'til t'en, bebe?"

"We shall."

* * *

Rogue laughed as Remy tugged her towards the Ferris Wheel. The sun was setting and the lights of the park were beginning to rise. "It ain't even thrillin', sugar."

"Come on, just one little ride around de Wheel, ma cherie, and t'en we'll do somet'in' t'rillin' before headin off to Joisey." He pulled her into line and tucked her against his side.

She laughed harder at his fake Jersey accent conflicting with his Cajun patois. "Don' talk like that."

"Why not? Yah should hear Remy when he's tryin' to talk like dat."

Rogue looked at the short line and at the slowly turning wheel. "But, it's borin'. The cars don' even turn or anythin'."

"Dat's not de point of de ride." He smirked at her. "An' who says it can't be t'rillin'?"

Her eyes widened. "Remy, there are children around."

He glanced around in an obvious manner looking for some. "So dare are. It's a t'emepark about chocolate." His brow furrowed. "Which is why we're here ain't it?"

"No. It's just on the way."

"If yah say so, bebe."

She poked his side. "It was on the way, between New Orleans and Yonkers, so that counts."

"Ah t'ought de school was in Central Salem."

"It is, which is near Yonkers and yah should hear a Yankee's version of near." She rolled her eyes. "Accordin' to one of the students who was from upstate, anythin' wit'in two hours of a city counts as bein' near it because basically there ain't really much in between 'em."

"Uh huh." He leaned down. "Are yah gonna ride de Wheel wit' Remy?"

She sighed. "All right. Ah just don' see how this is supposed to be thrillin'."

He grinned at her and helped her into the car and sat down next to her. She sighed as it started to move. See, it was this big wheel that went in circles without making any sort of effort of trying to stir her adrenaline. The Ferris Wheel was boring, which is why she tended to avoid them even if the others tried to get her to go on them.

Remy wrapped his arm around her and watched her as she closed her eyes. His eyebrows rose, apparently his cherie did not watch enough romantic comedies, if she didn't understand the point of the Ferris Wheel. He leaned down and brushed his lips across her eyelids. "Cherie, yah are gonna miss de best part." He murmured. Her eyes opened just as they reached the top and he pressed his lips to hers. He felt a stab of fear and pulled away. "Dare's nuttin' to be scared of, it's just Remy." The car stopped.

She inhaled and half smiled.

He pressed his lips to hers again and her heart pounded as he sought entrance to her mouth. She opened her lips for him and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck pulling him closer. Their tongues tangled for a few moments.

The car started moving again and he pulled away. "See?"

She licked her lips. "Ah'm still not sure Ah get it." Her heart still pounded. That hadn't been the type of thrilling she had in mind, but she wasn't going to complain.

"Do yah want to go around anot'er time so yah can figure it out?" He entwined their fingers.

"Maybe we should." She said and lowered her lashes. "Yah know, Cajun, Ah always thought these thin's were about the view."

He snickered and then leered. "Well, if yah wanna see dat bebe, yah are gonna have to open yer eyes."

She laughed and leaned against him.

They went around again.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Remy does something sweet, but not for Rogue and Logan expresses some of his large store of paranoia to Ororo and her everlasting patience._


	17. Chapter 17

**Queen's High  
Chapter Seventeen: It Ain't Paranoia (When You're Right)**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** In Jersey, Remy does something sweet, but not for Rogue while back at the mansion Logan's paranoia is in overdrive thanks to his phone conversations with Rogue and a bit of denial.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink.

Remy could tell that it was almost the end of summer and the start of school was fast approaching in this area. The boardwalk was clogged with families taking their last, and almost desperate feeling, chances at vacation. He adjusted his glasses under the pounding sun and moved a little closer to Rogue as they walked towards the rides, which were almost exactly like all the other rides that they'd been taking in for the past week.

He hated to admit it, but he was almost roller coastered out for a while.

Up ahead, a child began to wail and scream over something. Remy found her in the crowd. She was a cute little thing, red curls (he was now biased towards red) and absolutely, completely terrified.

"B-but I want it!" She screamed.

Her parents tried to tug her away from the booth and she kept holding her arms out towards a bear that was almost as big as she was screaming "No. No. No," over and over on the top of her lungs. Her terror and desperate need for that bear beating at him.

Remy nudged Rogue. "How badly do yah t'ink she wants it?"

"Not as badly as she's makin' out." Rogue murmured and glanced up at him.

He shook his head. "Dat little girl is terrified of somet'in' cherie." He looked down at Rogue. "And somet'in' 'bout dat bear makes her feel safe."

Her parents managed to drag her away, not able to pick her up because she was slightly too big to do so. Remy placed the girl at around eight or nine years old.

"It's the biggest prize on the booth, Cajun. Yah'd have to get everythin' perfect." Rogue shook her head. "There ain't no way her folks would be able to win it for her."

"Yah just watch Remy, bebe." He said and squeezed her hand before cutting over to the booth.

Rogue bit her lip and tried to hide her smile. She wasn't going to even try to talk him out of it. One try or two and he'd give up and they'd move on, most likely. But it was kind of sweet and she didn't doubt him when she said the little girl was scared. He was the empath, not her.

Remy paid for two chances. The operator went through his spiel. Remy knew he could get it in one. He didn't want the operator to feel as if Remy had cheated, even though Remy was going to do so. Maybe it was only technically cheating because he knew how the game was set up. He'd never let that get in his way before.

He flubbed the first three rings spectacularly.

Rogue slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. He turned his head, pulled his sunglasses down and winked at her. He took his second chance and got every single one perfectly to get that bear.

The lights went off, the operator yelled and applauded and handed the bear down to him.

"Merci." Remy grinned.

Rogue narrowed her eyes at him when he came close. "What did yah do?"

"Shh, Remy cheated. T'ey set it up in just a certain way dat it's almost impossible, but Remy knows de secrets. Come on. She's still nearby." He grabbed Rogue's hand.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Remy found her easily. She walked slightly behind her parents, sniffling and rubbing her eyes. He glanced at Rogue. "Wanna come, cherie?"

"No." Rogue grinned. He was just too adorable. "Yah won it. Yah give it to her."

Remy walked up behind the girl and tapped her on the shoulder. She spun, as he knelt down. "Bonjour, Petite." He said. "Yah missin' somet'in'?" He asked and held out the large bear. Her eyes widened. The irises were cherry red. Remy smiled in sympathy. She was a mutant. That explained a bit. He carefully reached out with the kinetic energy and found the part of her that wanted the bear and felt safe around the bear and moved the molecules until what he wanted her to do, reach out and take the bear to keep her safe, was what she wanted to do. She reached out and grabbed the bear, hugging it to her chest. He grinned at her. "Yah take care of it, oui?" He said. She nodded quickly, squeezing the bear closer. Her eyes widened more as his sunglasses slipped down and she saw his eyes. He reached up and slid them back up. "Best catch up wit' yer folks, petite." He murmured and got up, leaving her there and going back to Rogue.

Rogue watched the girl watch Remy for a few minutes before turning and running off after her parents with her prize. She was almost sure that the girl knew Remy was headed back to her, but shrugged the notion off.

Remy wrapped an arm about her and pulled her away down the boardwalk.

"That was very sweet of yah, sugar." She put a head on his shoulder.

"So, do yah want a teddy bear too?" He asked and adjusted his sunglasses again.

"Ah got one already. He's got these pretty red and black eyes, long brown hair and Ah've a feelin' he's quite snuggly when he's in the mood."

"Very mignon, Mississippi."

"Ain't Ah right, Louisiana?"

"Remy ain't sayin'." He said. She grinned up at him, her pulse jumping and skittering as he looked down at her. He sighed. "Too nervous, cherie."

"Drat." Rogue muttered and put her head back on his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head.

* * *

Logan paced back and forth down the hall of the mansion. Chuck had already kicked him out of his office, claiming that Logan's tension was giving him a headache. Ororo had taken one of the chairs next to the wall and was watching him, her fingertips pressed together and elbows on the chair's arms.

Rogue was coming home today and he wasn't sure when and it was driving him bonkers. He spun on his heel and stalked back down the hall.

"I wish she'd just up and get here already." He muttered. He wanted this over with. It felt like the house was going to go up in flames or be flattened at any moment. The rumor mill refused to fizzle out despite the fact Logan wouldn't give any information about where Rogue had gone or what she was doing and why she hadn't returned. Each story was slightly more ludicrous than the last and none remotely resembled the truth. But the tension since he'd found out she was coming back was building in the air despite the fact he hadn't said anything to anyone outside of Charles and Ororo.

Ororo smiled and shook her head. He hadn't worn out her patience yet. "They'll get here when they get here. And it's barely past lunch, Logan. They won't be here for at least six hours."

"And that's the thing," Logan spun again. "She's travellin' with that Cajun and who knows what they're actually getting' up to."

"You were the one who didn't tell her." Ororo's eyebrows rose.

He scowled at her. "I didn't think it was _important._"

"You sent her off in an emotionally unstable position and didn't think that the politics of the situation were important." Ororo sighed and tried to remember that they had had this argument about six times already. The responses were becoming automatic.

"That's the thing, she was so angry, I figured she wouldn't want to be near him for more than a few minutes, much less talk to him. She sure didn't want to talk to me." He turned again. "She says she doesn't care anymore, but I don't trust it." He glanced at Ororo. "Somethin's not right."

"You're being paranoid."

"Paranoid? She was out for blood. If she didn't have to absorb the prick, I think she might have killed him with her bare hands."

"She's absorbed Bobby before."

Logan growled. He did not want to talk about _how_ she'd absorbed Bobby before or _why._ The jerk didn't deserve a girl like Rogue. "Well, she wouldn't have wanted to have _that_ memory."

Ororo sighed. "Logan."

"He kissed Emma and Rogue saw it, I'm positive. It's the only reason that she'd be that angry." Logan clenched his fists and felt the tips of his claws on the other side of his skin before he had the wits to draw them back in. "And I don't trust this mood of hers."

"So, what are you going to do?" Ororo said. Logan didn't say anything but continued to pace. Ororo continued. "She's coming back today."

"I know that."

"If you are going to do something, it has to be done now."

"I don't trust this mood." He said. Ororo refrained from pointing out that he had said that already. "I don't trust her not to do somethin'."

"Do what?"

"Somethin'." Logan growled. "Anythin'."

"You're going to have to be more specific." Ororo sighed.

"Well, what do you think she's gonna do?" Logan spun and faced her. "She's unpredictable at this point." He frowned. "And there's no need to tell me this is all my fault, darlin'."

Ororo grinned. "So, you are trying to avert a disaster that you don't know if it is even coming. You want to run damage control over nothing. It's paranoia."

"Well, I can't do anything about her."

"You have no control over this situation." Ororo sounded like she wanted to rub her temples.

"Sure I do." He frowned. "Just not over her, but it occurs to me darlin' that she is not the only person involved in this here situation. In fact, she ain't even the guilty party." He turned and headed away down the hall with purpose in his steps.

Ororo's hands dropped. "Logan?"

He waved a hand at her and used his nose to find a particular two timing kid with bad taste in women to cheat with (because he didn't have bad taste if he was going with Logan's number one protégé who was not in any way shape of form Logan's daughter.)

Bobby had found a comfortable corner of the library to work out his next year's lesson plans and incorporate his college schedule into his teaching schedule. He had his books spread in front of him and his palm on his forehead, raking his fingers through his hair from time to time with frustration.

Logan leaned against the nearest bookcase and waited for Bobby to notice him. He pulled a cigar out of his back pocket and stuck it in his mouth, crossing his arms. For amusement purposes, Logan decided to time how long it took before Bobby looked up, the library clock's loud ticking a fine counterpoint to his beating heart.

Some time later, Bobby glanced up and jerked backwards and away from the table.

Logan grinned at him. "Twenty minutes kid, not good."

Bobby's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah, sorry."

Logan sucked on his cigar and contemplated him. "Work on it, bub. Next time, folk might not be as friendly as me."

"Uh huh." Bobby nodded.

Logan tilted his head, speaking of not so friendly folk. "Rogue's comin' home today."

That got Bobby's attention. He straightened and ran his hand through his hair again. "She is."

Logan took the cigar from his mouth. "This evening and I want you-" he pointed at him. "To stay away from her until we determine what type of mood she's in."

"Yeah, but-"

"Those live in the field, bub. You do as I tell you and stay away from her until we're sure that she won't kill your skinny ass." Logan's brow furrowed and he stuck his cigar back into his mouth. "Or else."

Bobby nodded and swallowed.

Logan turned and walked away. He hoped Bobby would listen, but he didn't hope too much. The kid had too big of a history of doing stupid things. Maybe, Logan thought, maybe he'd guaranteed an hour or so of stalling before Bobby sought Rogue out. And by then, they should know to some degree how badly Bobby was going to end up hurt.

Bobby stared after him a few minutes, then grabbed his things pulling them together in a big pile. He hurried out of the library. He dropped his books off at his room onto his desk and walked down the hall, pausing at the bedroom door of another teacher. Emma lay sprawled across her bed on her belly reading some sort of magazine as she filed her nails.

"Uh, Emma, may I talk to you?" He rubbed the back of his neck.

Emma looked up and smiled at him. "Sure thing, come on in."

Bobby took a few steps in, hand not leaving the back of his neck. "Um, well, it won't take long."

Emma's eyes narrowed and she sat up. "What's wrong, Bobby?"

Bobby shifted on his feet. "Rogue's coming home today and well, we have to end this."

"This?" Emma's voice rose. "This!"

"I made a mistake. I love Rogue, Emma. Please, you have got to understand."

"_This _has a name!" Emma's blue eyes snapped with rage and she crossed her arms. He refused to dignify their relationship with even some sort of name. "She broke up with you. You can't even _touch_ her."

"That doesn't matter."

"That wasn't what you said when you were kissing me, Bobby Drake!"

"And that was a mistake, kissing you and being with you, especially when I was with her."

"Well, you _aren't_ with her anymore. She broke up with you."

"Because of _you._" Bobby clenched his fists. "I'm sorry Emma, but I love Rogue and I'm going to get her back."

"Well, don't think that I'll be around!" Emma shouted at him and threw her nail file at him. Bobby retreated from the room. "I won't be here! I won't. Drake!"

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Rogue and Remy return to the mansion... wacky fun._


	18. Chapter 18

**Queen's High  
Chapter Eighteen: Homecoming**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** After a trip to recruit a certain Cajun, and a get to know you trip back, Rogue and Remy return home to a situation she left behind and he knows nothing about. The standard greetings ensue.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Happy belated Birthday to ME! (I'm sorry, out of all of you, mine is the only birthday I know.)

Logan stood on top of the school's front steps, illuminated by the setting sun and casting a long shadow. He'd finally given into nerves and was smoking the cigar he'd been keeping in his back pocket and pulling out all day to chew on. In the distance, he could hear the loud noise of two different motorcycle engines rumbling at different frequencies and they were getting closer. Behind him, he could smell the sweet scent of Ororo's perfume. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Almost here." He said.

The gate opened and the motorcycles flew through the gate and up the drive. In front of the steps, they twisted their cycles and skidded to a stop side by side. Logan's eyebrows rose as they kicked their stands down at the same time and dismounted. They either did this often or had too much time to practice. Remy, his hair still around his shoulders but taller than Logan remembered, came around and wrapped an arm about Rogue's waist. The orangey-rose sunlight glinted off her bright red- Logan's brain stopped for a moment, red hair. Rogue had dyed her hair red. Her hair was red. He couldn't get over it. He felt 'Ro's hand squeeze down, nails digging into his shirt.

Rogue and Remy walked towards the stairs together and Rogue grinned up at him.

She stuck out one arm, the one that wasn't stuck behind Remy's back. "May Ah present, one, Remy Lebeau."

Logan and Ororo stared at the two of them. Remy leaned his head down and let his sunglasses drop down his nose. "Remy t'inks t'ey are stunned by yer beauty, ma cherie." He glanced over at her and smiled softly.

Logan's gut twisted and a dark sense of foreboding settled in his brain. Oh no. This did not look good.

Rogue looked back at him. "Yah would think given he was so worried that Ah'd at least get a hello or a hug, sugar." She dropped her arm.

"Yah would think." He grinned up at Ororo. "Bonjour Stormy."

Ororo felt her throat close up and she felt tears come to her eyes, but the response was rote. "Don't call me Stormy." She finally dashed down the stairs. "Oh goddess, Remy, it's good to see you."

"And you, ma soeur." He let Rogue go to hug her tight and kiss both her cheeks and she kissed them back because that was how one was supposed to greet Remy. "See, now dat is more like it."

"Sure, sure, rub it in." Rogue looked over at Logan and shook her head while she rolled her eyes.

"Yah are just jealous." Remy squeezed Ororo tight one last time and let go.

Rogue just looked pointedly at Remy for moment and then took the steps two at a time to hug Logan. "Hey."

He about swallowed his cigar as she hugged him voluntarily. He hugged back without thinking about it. "Welcome home, kid."

She pulled back and grinned at him. "Thank yah, Logan."

He blinked. "What did you do to your hair?"

Rogue paused and bit her lip. "Ah colored it." Her eyes widened. "Yah don' like it?"

Logan could feel a crying fit on Rogue's part coming on. He swore internally and relied on the two words that he knew would get him out of trouble. "You're pretty."

Rogue beamed at him and hugged him again. "Ah love it, Carmen in Philly did it and she was nice and everythin'." She pulled back and turned her head. "Though the swamp rat there wouldn't let me pay." She scowled at Remy. Remy began to whistle Win-dixie. Rogue turned and started to go down the steps muttering something about hitting him and that she could have paid just fine and loud enough so everyone could hear. "At least whistle in key!"

Remy stopped and grinned at her. "Problems, river rat?"

Ororo looked past Rogue at Logan who had the oddest look on his face, like he'd just bitten into something bitter.

Kitty ran through the door, almost shouting on top of her lungs. "Rogue. Rogue. Rogue. Oh my gawd, I so like missed you so much."

Rogue spun and caught Kitty before the girl could tumble down the stairs. "Hey Kitty, Ah missed yah too." She hugged her and then let her go.

Kitty's eyes widened. "Your hair, oh my word it's so- like- perfect for you." She tilted her head and started to take off down the stairs to welcome Remy.

Rogue stepped in front of her and held up a hand. "Woah." Kitty halted on her toes. "He won' understand that it don' mean nothin' and that's how yah greet everybody."

Remy snickered and bounced up behind Rogue and wrapped his arms around her waist. He turned his head to talk into her neck. "Would rat'er hug on yah anyways, sha." He looked at Kitty and then leered at her. "Bonjour, Chaton."

Kitty took two steps back. "Uh, hi?"

Rogue sighed. "Behave, hun."

"Ne'er." He snickered. "What Remy wants to know is where Remy's room is?"

Rogue smirked and spun in Remy's arms, pushing him back with the palm of her hand. Remy stepped away from her and she brushed past him back towards her bike. "Probably on the other side of the mansion than everyone else's."

"Ah privacy." Remy turned in a move he'd obviously taken from sort of dance and his hand once again wrapped back around her waist.

She looked over at him. "Good luck with that, Cajun."

Remy's eyebrow rose. "Why's dat, bebe?" He let her go as she bumped him with her hip and went to his own bike.

"The _only_ way to get privacy around here is when yah go to the bathroom and lock the door. Sometimes that don' even work." Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Oh?"

"Here she goes again." Kitty muttered under her breath.

"Phasers, teleporters, those with super strength that don' remember." She gave Logan a significant and irritated glance over her shoulder as she pulled her bags out of her storage compartments.

"I apologized for that." Logan muttered.

"Remy feels at home already." Remy said.

Rogue raised her eyebrow at him. Remy just grinned back. He didn't feel that now was the time to tell her that his home didn't have any locks (they were superfluous really) and that Mercy had a tendency to throw anything and everything at a person who intruded on her bathroom time. Eventually, she'd gotten her own bathroom.

"Multiple times." Logan continued.

Rogue glared at him again. She tossed her bags over her shoulder, a longer garment bag draping over the rest. "Mister Wolverine, yah have the best senses of the entire house, there is no way yah couldn't have known Ah was in there."

"I'd just had a hot pepper."

Remy snickered.

Rogue knocked her sunglasses down. "Not _that_ hot." She turned her look to Remy. "Yah even think about invadin' on my bathroom time, Louisiana, Ah'll kill yah."

"Remy will remember to ask politely, Mississippi." He smirked. "T'ough Remy wouldn't mind if yah invaded on Remy."

Rogue threw her head back and groaned. "Get yer mind out of the gutter!"

"Dat would require scrubbin'. Would yah like to help?"

Rogue looked at Logan. "Yah see what Ah have had to put up with all week."

Remy wiggled his eyebrows. "Secretly, she loves Remy." He said. Rogue marched up the stairs and shoved the door open with her hip. Remy caught up with her. "Really, cherie, Remy could have gotten it."

"Ah'm independent like that, sugar."

Ororo sighed and went after them. He hadn't changed at all. "Your stuff arrived before you did, Remy."

"Remy wasn't expectin' so many side trips." He said and he looked over his shoulder as he grabbed Rogue's hand.

Logan caught up with Ororo. Kitty trailed after them. The dread in Logan's gut rising as Remy and Rogue continued to be physical and call each other pet names. He knew Rogue would probably get together with another guy. Just not this one, any guy but Gumbo would be preferable. Kitty's eyes widened as she took it all in. She wasn't sure if she remembered a time when she'd seen Rogue this relaxed. Kitty stayed at the bottom of the stairs.

Rogue smirked. "Poor Remy, forced to ride roller coasters and go-karts and go to museums, play games and see _flowers_."

Remy had to add something to that. "And go on de Ferris Wheel."

She took a step faster than he did and half spun. "That was _your_ idea."

"Mais." He snickered. "Yah know." He tugged her back down.

Ororo interrupted. "Your room is the one next to Rogue's and full of boxes."

Remy's eyes widened and he let go of Rogue's hand to walk up the steps backwards in front of her. "Does dat mean Remy and Marie can keep de compromise?"

Logan's jaw tensed and he could barely swallow. Remy knew Rogue's _name._ Logan could barely think past that to keep up with this whole _compromise_ business that he was half positive was going to make him want to _kill_ Remy. Ororo put a hand on his arm. He glanced at her and her look told him to _wait_ and see what the compromise actually was.

Rogue frowned at Remy. "No."

Logan approved of Rogue's attitude. That was his girl right there.

"But- Remy liked de door." Remy pouted.

Door? This compromise involved a door? Logan's fists clenched. Remy was a dead man. Ororo blinked slowly. Perhaps, she should let Logan go. This was sounding worse and worse by the moment or conversely it could be Remy pushing the boundaries as he always did.

Rogue looked up at the ceiling and prayed for patience. "Yah can use the hall, like everyone _else._" It wasn't until after she finished saying it that she remembered Kitty and her lack of respect for anything solid. Rogue thought about rephrasing it and then knew that if Remy knew there was an exception, then he could be an exception. It was best just to keep her mouth shut.

Ororo's eyebrow rose. "Compromise?" They needed to hear this before Logan went ballistic.

The two of them looked at each other and their lips twitched. Remy spoke first. "Remy wanted to share de rooms on de way up."

"Ah refused."

Logan growled. "You better have, Stripes."

Remy sighed, looking put out. "So, we got separate rooms wit' a door between dem."

Ororo relaxed and squeezed Logan's arm. Remy was a perfect gentleman. There had been a door between them each night and a wall.

"He's _lucky_ Ah agreed to that." Rogue said and tucked her hair behind her ears. "At least he weren't too stubborn about me _payin'_ for mine."

"Which kept Remy happy as long as she didn't lock hers."

Rogue paused outside her door. "Yah are _not_ puttin' a door between our rooms."

"T'en Remy is takin' out de entire wall?" Remy asked, widening his eyes and looking hopeful.

Logan growled again. Ororo tried not to laugh, mostly because Logan was so angry. Remy wouldn't do that. She was positive that Remy was joking about it.

Rogue unlocked her door and shoved it open. "No."

Remy looked in. "Oh, yah have a balcony. Remy will use dat."

Rogue opened her mouth and then shut it. "Fine." She said in a strangled voice.

Ororo's jaw dropped. "Fine?"

"The image amuses me." Rogue shrugged.

"Stripes." Logan could barely keep his voice from rumbling.

"It ain't like Ah can't throw him across the room if he crosses a line." Rogue rolled her eyes and threw her bags into her room, only taking the time to set the one with her makeup and mirror on the table next to the door. It was an acceptable compromise. She knew Remy would take out the wall if it suited him. She still could hurt him no matter what though. "And he knows it."

Remy opened the door to his new room next door. "T'is one has a balcony too, bon." He looked around at all the piled boxes and sighed.

"You sure he does?" Logan asked.

"Remy knows. Not dat it will _stop_ Remy any." Remy said and set his things down. He looked at all the boxes again and wondered exactly how much his family had packed for him. He had been leery of letting them choose things, but then again, Marie had been waiting.

"It'd better." Logan pointed at him.

Rogue snickered. "He's got good reflexes. Ah don' even have to do anythin' really. So sad." She brushed past Logan and Ororo to lean on Remy's doorframe and shook her head at all the boxes piled on the floor. "Sucks to be yah, Cajun."

Remy looked up at her. "Yah ain't gonna help Remy, bebe?"

She grinned at him. It started slowly. "What do Ah get out of it?"

"Dinner, for a start." He tilted his head.

"Sounds promisin' sugar." She lowered her eyelashes.

"Oh it is, ma cherie."

Ororo looked over at Logan's whose veins were starting to stand out on his forehead. She decided it was time to intervene before things got too far out of hand and Logan skewered Remy. "Charles wants to see both of you in his office."

Rogue sighed and straightened. "Of course." She turned and started to take off her coat, Remy was at her back instantly and grabbed it before it could even hit the floor. He handed it to her and took off his own.

Logan wanted to chew her out for the see through barely there long sleeved shirt she was wearing over something that didn't look like more than some type of bikini top. He wanted to chew Remy out for Remy's good manners and Rogue for assuming Remy would use them and then accepting them. His eyes narrowed and he growled as Remy offered Rogue his arm. She tossed her coat into her room as they passed, flicking the door shut. Remy didn't even bother to shut his door.

Ororo reached over and shut it, rolling her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was Rogue or if Remy had actually become a worse flirt over the years. Either way, things were sure to be interesting.

* * *

The meeting had started off with the usual routine of welcomes, inquiries about the journey and pleasantries before everyone found their seats. Charles sat behind his desk and his eyebrows rose as he read down a sheet of paper that Rogue had handed to him before she sat on the couch and had explained as a list of expenses. "Supplies?" He asked. "Bribes? Transportation services?"

Ororo's eyebrows rose as she sat in a throne-like chair. Logan leaned against the back of it and watched. His cigar still smoking as he frowned.

Charles blinked. "A florist?"

Rogue bit her lip, flushing. "Oops, meant to take that off." She got up and took it from Charles' hands and sat back down.

Remy glanced over at her from the other end of the couch. "Yah weren't gonna make him pay for t'ose, were yah?"

"Hush, sugar." She pulled out a pen, crossed out the roses and the little cake and totaled the column again. "There yah go." She said and handed it back. Charles still didn't seem like he could believe the total. Rogue crossed her legs and leaned back in the couch, her arms loose beside her. "Ah ain't askin' yah to pay for the attractions or anything from on the way back or any place Ah went to eat that was especially fancy, just the basics. Food, fuel, lodgin' and any expense that dealt with actually recruitin' Remy."

"But bribes?"

"Well," Rogue's lips turned up into a smile. She'd been thinking about this and had prepared an answer. "Ah sent Remy a message, then we exchanged numbers before meetin' for coffee. It was all very polite and civilized but it took money."

Remy coughed and put his hand over his eyes. "Dat is not how Remy would summarize it." He muttered.

"Shut up, Cajun." She turned her head and glared at him. "That is the way it happened."

Remy glanced at her from under his hand. "Oui, bebe." He said and then sank lower into the couch and worked on summoning his poker face. Otherwise, he'd start laughing hysterically. A message? Phone numbers? A meeting? It made it sound so typical and normal.

Logan sucked hard down on his cigar as Remy tamely agreed with Rogue. The way they acted, there was quite a story behind the proper and civilized patter Rogue was selling. That, and Logan wanted them to stop calling each other pet names. The sugar and cherie was fine, because they used those for everyone they thought they could get away with terms of endearment, (though Remy tended to call Rogue ma cherie more often than cherie and that was a problem,) the rest needed to stop. Now.

Charles set the list down and knit his fingers together. Her explanation did not tell him why it took five days for her to leave New Orleans once she arrived. "The thing is Rogue, we really didn't expect you to take so long."

Rogue worked hard to restrain her sarcasm and even managed to a degree. "Ah didn't know there was a deadline or Ah would've taken a different approach."

"Well, Remy might have been going out of the country." Ororo spoke up from her chair.

Rogue's eyes widened. "Yah mean that Ah could have ditched this whole place and gone with Remy to Europe or somethin'. Damn. Why didn't yah say so earlier?"

Remy let his hand drop and smirked at her. "Well, t'ere is always next year."

She looked over at him and narrowed her eyes. "No. Next year Ah'm doin' motorcycle rallies. Ah've put it off too long. Ah'm goin' to Sturgis."

Remy leaned over, draping the upper half of his body across the space between them to talk in her ear, his voice lowering into a husky range. "And let Remy guess, stoppin' at every tourist attraction yah can find in between."

She smirked at him. "Oui."

"Remy likes de way yah t'ink." He smiled at her. "Care for some company?"

"Sure thing, sugar." She smiled at him.

He stared at her for a moment. "Yah are too nervous for dat, ma cherie." He said in a low voice. Her face screwed up into a mixture of frustration and exasperation. She used a finger in the middle of his forehead to push him away. He laughed and then smirked at her. "We can do Europe de summer after dat, t'en." He put his arm on the back the couch, his hand just close enough to start playing with some of Rogue's hair. Either Rogue didn't notice or she ignored him. Logan couldn't tell. It made him uneasy. Rogue usually noticed _everything_ that happened in her personal space.

Charles tried to regain control of the situation. He wasn't sure what the exchange between Rogue and Remy meant, especially the last part. He glanced at Ororo and saw that she was just as confused as he was. Logan was too focused on the position of Remy's hand to be helpful. "Yes, Remy might have been going to Europe or Asia or Africa."

Rogue wanted to chew her tongue. "Well, mah briefing was pretty short." She cast a short glare at Logan.

"And you wouldn't pick up your phone." Charles looked at her pointedly. They had tried to get in contact with her multiple times.

"Well no, bein' called by Logan every hour when Ah was tryin' to work is rather annoyin'." Rogue maintained her posture. Hadn't they _heard_ the story of the Little Boy who Cried Wolf? If they wanted her to answer her phone, then they better have good reason for calling her and not call all the damn time. "Ah don' bug him that much. He'd hurt me."

"Damn straight." Logan growled.

"Ah'm sorry, Professor. Ah carried through the mission in a manner Ah thought was best." She wondered how far she was going to be able to push this whole rebelliousness. She'd succeeded. Remy was here. What more did they want? "Perhaps, Logan should have gone?"

Charles frowned. "Rogue."

"Well, he was so concerned." Rogue looked at him levelly. "Ah made first contact with Remy within mah first six wakin' hours of bein' in the Big Easy. After that, Ah had a decent notion of where he was every hour of the day. He weren't goin' anywhere that Ah didn't know about it."

Logan muttered under his breath in the background. No one bothered to listen.

"Not dat Remy didn' t'ink about it." Remy said. Rogue rolled her head to look at him. He shrugged. "Yer determination is scary, ma cherie." He said. Rogue pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. They had just been playing cards. Remy glared at her and then rolled his eyes. He looked at Charles. "T'en Remy didn't."

Charles looked at Rogue. "There are certain expectations when going out on a mission that we expect you to follow."

"Did yah want him to come or not?" Rogue finally snapped. "Ah tried tellin' Logan," Logan interrupted with a short 'hey.' Rogue ignored him, "but he wouldn't listen. Remy weren't gonna come just because Ah'm beautiful, a woman and the messenger. He needed _reason_. The fact that Ah'm beautiful ain't enough enticement." Rogue crossed her arms. "Which would be more insultin' if it'd been personal." She muttered. Charles opened his mouth and then shut it, realizing even through the multiple personality haze that clouded Rogue's mind that she wasn't going to budge on this issue. Rogue glared at her boots. "Ah won't be usin' that approach again anyways."

"Bettah not." Remy said.

She looked over at Remy and a smile tugged on her lips. He smirked at her.

Logan didn't like the affection in those smiles. He glanced at Ororo and noticed her brow was furrowed.

Charles hadn't a clue what was going on and decided it was so far out of his control that he best move onwards. "Well, then, I guess that subject is closed. We'll see about reimbursing you for your expenses." He opened a drawer on his desk. "Here are your classes assignments for the year." He said pulled out two folders. "Group danger room sessions are also scheduled and I've included a list of the rules in your folder, Mr. Lebeau."

"Gambit is fine or Remy. Monsieur Lebeau is mon Papa."

"Remy then." Charles nodded. "Though the students will be required to call you Mr. Lebeau." He smiled at them. "I understand that all the teachers want to go out and celebrate your return and Remy's arrival at Harry's."

Rogue stood and took the folder's passing one over to Remy. "Of course, Professor. Thank yah."

Remy stood and smiled at Charles. "Merci, Professor." He put a hand on the small of Rogue's back, the folder already opened in his other hand and they walked out the door together.

Logan stared after them and the door closed. "What in hell is going on here?" He muttered.

Ororo shook her head. She had less of an idea than Logan. Ororo looked over at him. "You take one and I'll take the other."

"I've got the kid." Logan straightened. The two of them had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)

Next time in Queen's High... multiple conversations and some eavesdropping and a bit of ribbing.


	19. Chapter 19

**Queen's High  
****Chapter Nineteen: Cranky Old Man**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** After a trip to recruit a certain Cajun, and a get to know you trip back, at the mansion, Emma gets jealous, Remy and Rogue have some explaining to their respective kin that they aren't really related to and Logan warns Remy, not that Remy ever listens.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. This chapter brought to you early by Alicia Jo. Happy Birthday Alicia Jo!

Remy didn't look up from his folder as he walked down the hall, hand still on Rogue's back. "So, Stormy and Claws huh. How long has dat been goin' on?"

Rogue snickered. "A couple of months."

"T'ey out in de open."

"Nope."

"Tsk, sloppy." He said and dismissed Logan and Ororo from his mind. He glanced over at her. "Whatcha got, cherie?"

Rogue opened her folder and nodded. It was what she'd expected. "Upper class French, Engine mechanics, PE assistant to Logan for the little kids and the usual team Danger Room sessions."

Remy stared at her. "Dat's not fair."

She bit her lip. "Okay, what did yah get?"

"De second and t'ird graders." He said.

Rogue tried not to laugh, she did, but it bubbled out of her. He stopped them and pouted, sliding about until Rogue was in front of him.

Emma was walking down the hall from the other direction and she stopped, ducking into a doorway when she saw them standing in the middle of the corridor. Her blue eyes narrowed as she watched them. Neither Rogue nor Remy noticed.

"Cherie." He whined. "Trade wit' Remy."

She shook her head, still laughing. "No."

"Please, Remy wants to teach de big kids."

She took a deep breath. "Ah don' think so, sugar. No one would be listenin' to the lessons." She tugged his folder away from him and looked at it. "And yah got the upper class Danger Room sessions and _detentions_. Yah do get the big kids."

"But Remy wants dem all de time."

"Ah don' think so." Rogue's voice lowered.

Emma's hand tightened on the doorframe. The man, who kept referring to himself as Remy instead of personal pronouns, had to be the new guy. And he was incredibly handsome if you disregarded his red on black eyes. He looked like some sort of model with his high forehead, chiseled cheeks and long hair. Emma's teeth ground together as Rogue (and her new hair color that looked awful and fake) continued to blatantly flirt with Remy. Remy, who was sexier than Bobby's boy band prettiness, it was not fair.

"Please." Remy pouted again and widened his eyes.

"No."

"Trade wit' Remy, please, please, ma cherie." He leaned his head down, putting his lips closer to hers.

Rogue went up on tiptoes and smirked at him. "No."

Emma couldn't see anything but them through the haze now surrounding her vision. Rogue always got the hot guys. Always! And it was useless. They couldn't touch her. They couldn't do anything with her, but they all _wanted_ her.

"Yah are cruel." He said and his hand slid up her back.

Rogue used a finger and ran it along his jaw line. "Too bad, Cajun. No high school girl fan club for you." She finished with a smile and pressed her finger to his lips. He kissed it.

Emma's stomach knotted so hard it hurt. Her jaws ached from clenching her teeth.

Remy smirked. "Don' need a fan club, bebe."

"Then yah get to keep the rugrats." Rogue nodded and settled back down flat on her feet.

"T'ey are too big to be rugrats." Remy muttered. "Come on, cherie. Remy knows yer classes just as well."

"And yah are teachin' the little kids. Ah ain't givin' mine up and do yah _really_ want to be at Logan's mercy, sugar?"

Remy thought about that for a moment and his eyes flicked past Rogue. Emma ducked back into the door more. He couldn't have _seen_ her, could he? Remy looked back at Rogue, disregarding the jealous and angry feeling eavesdropper. He didn't know who she was, why she was angry and he didn't care. "Not really."

Rogue snapped his folder shut and handed it back to him. "Let me handle the cranky old man."

"Just, call out if yah need help."

"Do yah really think Ah'll need help?"

"Non. But it wouldn't be gentlemanly not to offer."

She lowered her lashes and smiled at him. "Be a gentleman then and escort me to mah room, Mister Lebeau."

"Remy's pleasure, ma cherie."

Emma watched them pass her and tried to remember how to breathe.

* * *

Ororo knocked once on Remy's door and then let herself in. She glanced over at Logan to see him knocking on Rogue's door again. He looked at her and looked frustrated. Ororo smiled as she ducked inside Remy's room, shutting the door behind her.

"You were telling us the truth and the trip was fine, mon frere?" She asked.

Remy rummaged inside his bag on the bed. "Oui. It was fine, ma soeur." He looked at her over his shoulder and grinned. "Yah t'ink Remy'd let ma cherie travel on her own." He shuddered. "Terrifyin' t'ought. Remy had fun and ma cherie had fun and dat was de point. Remy is glad to have arrived." He grinned at her.

Ororo smiled back. "Too much of Rogue?"

He blinked once. "Is dat what everyone calls her?" He muttered and then shrugged. "Non. Too many hotels, Remy was lookin' forward to a proper mattress." He snickered. "And to see yah." He turned around and pulled out his marked suit of cards and shuffled them a few times before setting them on the bedside table.

"Well, I was looking forward to seeing you too." She paused. "Sooner."

He chuckled and pulled his shirt over his head, turning to get the shirt he'd been looking for in his bag. Ororo's eyes flicked to the cards and as Remy shrugged his shirt on, she went over and picked them up. "Well, Remy wasn't gonna complain if a belle femme wanted to take _longer._" He said.

Ororo fanned them, taking in the different backs. She flipped them over, frowning. She frowned more when she saw each card had a letter. Remy tucked his shirt into his leather riding pants. Ororo pressed her lips together. "Remy, what are these?"

He turned towards her buttoning up his shirt and his hands froze as he saw what she held. Ororo looked up as Remy started to blush. Her eyes widened as the back of his neck, the tips of his ears and even his face turned red. He jerked his gaze down and went back to buttoning his shirt. He hadn't a clue on how he was going to explain his way out of this one. He focused on the small dress buttons and how they had to go through each matching hole just like so and focused on the obvious. "T'ey're cards." He said and refused to meet her eyes.

Ororo worked around the shock at seeing Remy actually embarrassed to talk. "I can see that."

"Mais, dat's what t'ey are." Remy worked his hair out from under his collar, adjusting it.

Ororo looked back at them and hoped that her supposition was correct and put them in the easiest order, least to greatest numerically. She wasn't sure if the Ace was supposed to be the lowest or the highest, but all it held was the X-Men symbol so she didn't think it mattered. Her brow furrowed at the message, one letter separated by a card with a phone number on it, the Queen of Hearts. "Be seeing you." She looked up at him. Remy was now adjusting his cuffs, his face still completely red. Her eyes widened. "Was _this_ the message?"

Remy looked away from her, turning yet another deeper shade of red.

"Oh my goddess." Ororo murmured and sat down on the bed and knew instantly what Remy must have thought. There was only one thing Remy could have thought given the upbringing and indeed the _training_ he had from Tante Mattie. "Remy, Rogue-" words failed her for a moment. "She doesn't know the meanings behind the cards." Ororo glanced at the cards again. If she was reading this right, it was quite a love letter. A new love, unexpected travel and successes, unrealistic fantasies on Rogue's part, Remy being the suave mature man to Rogue's younger admiration. And her number written upon the Queen of Hearts, the mature woman to Remy's mature man. "She doesn't know, Remy. I don't know what this was, but it wasn't-"

"Ma soeur. Remy and Marie already had de discussion about Remy as a _job._" Remy interrupted. "Just-" Remy ran his hands through his hair. "Remy _likes_ her."

Ororo turned the cards over again, noticing that the Queen card had a gothic design with Spades upon it. She tried not to groan, two of Remy's favorites on _one_ card. Ororo shut the cards and looked at him and then fanned them open again as the she noticed the nine had a rose on the back, a dark red rose, the love rose. She turned the nine over and remembered what it meant about wishes coming true, wishes about love. "Remy," She tried to sound reasonable. She had to maintain control here. "Whatever this meant," she held up the nine card. "It wasn't _real._ I don't know what Rogue thought she was doing-"

"Mais, yah didn't see de rest of dem." Remy muttered, interrupting.

"Rest of what?" Ororo's eyes narrowed and then she gaped as the whole florist exchange began to make sense. "She sent you _roses._"

Remy sat down next to her and all the frustration from that day coming as easily to his mind as if he was living it. "A full dozen." He put his elbows on his thighs and his face in his hands. "Mercy was merciless." He said. "De irony."

Ororo's lips twitched. "She would be."

"Papa was worse." Remy inhaled. "Ma soeur, just, Ah _like_ Marie." He swallowed and put his hands down, reaching over to take his cards back. "Remy _knows_ dat ma cherie doesn't know about de meanin's. It don' really matter."

Ororo wanted to slap him. He was disregarding her concerns. She hated it when he flipped between third person and first person and this constantly calling Rogue by her name (which Ororo barely remembered most of the time) and then saying Rogue was _his_ darling. "What is with you two?"

He blinked. "What?"

"Ma cherie, sugar this, Cajun, bebe, that. She called you _hun._" Ororo's eyes narrowed. He'd actually called Rogue, sha, the Cajun pronunciation of cherie. "Swamp rat, river rat? The states?"

He grinned. "Well, ma cherie and Remy have a lot of pet names for each ot'er."

Ororo held back a sigh. Oh great. They had _nicknames_ for each other. "And two summers of vacations?"

"It sounds fun and Remy's always wanted to go to Sturgis too." He put the cards back in his pocket. "Is it so hard to believe dat Remy and ma cherie get along together?" He bit his tongue on the fact that he and Rogue were dating. Ororo would just tell Logan and that would ruin the entire point of seeing how long it took Logan to figure it out. Maybe he and Marie should have taken bets. Though bets with her were only fun if it involved a distinct lack of clothes. Probably it was for the best they hadn't.

Ororo sighed. She wasn't sure if Rogue had told Remy her situation. She had better coach it in terms of Remy or the both of them. "I don't want to see either of you get hurt, one thinking it's true love and the other a light flirtation." She looked down her nose at him. "You are good at convincing girls of the first when it's really the second." Though she might not have to worry about _Remy_ leading someone on this time.

Remy tilted his head. "Remy has a very healthy respect for Rogue's ability to put Remy in a world of pain if Remy hurts her. Remy can't say Remy won't, because dat's impossible, but Ah'll do my best not to." He leaned back on his hands and smirked. "Remy's more worried about Logan anyways."

"Why's that?" Ororo pressed her hands together. Logan was very protective of Rogue.

"He's datin' yah and dat, ma souer, is scary." He leaned his head back and then turned his head to grin at her. Ororo gaped at him for a moment. His grin turned into a smirk. "Yah didn't t'ink yah could slip _dat_ past Remy, non?"

Ororo punched his arm. "Dating me is not scary."

He laughed. "If yah say so."

Ororo sighed and turned the subject back to him and Rogue. "Remy, Rogue's mutation-"

He had to interrupt again. He did not want to have _this_ conversation with Ororo. "Remy knows _all_ about ma cherie's mutation. We had dat discussion too, rite of passage t'in'." He shifted his face into one of understanding. "Remy knows yah are concerned. Remy, Ah appreciate it, ma soeur. Remy has t'in's under control." He said. Ororo looked at his pocket. She wasn't so sure. Remy changed the subject. "So, what have yah been up to, ma soeur? Yah don' call. Yah don' write." He pouted. "De famille feels unloved."

Ororo ducked her head. "I lost the number." She mumbled. It was harder for her, but she could still blush a little bit.

He stared at her. A grin crept over his face. He started to laugh. His arms felt weak and he fell backwards to lie crosswise across the bed, still laughing.

She glared at him and punched his thigh. "It's not funny."

"Oui. It is." He wiped his eyes. "Yah had to send _Marie_ to N'Awlins wit' information from bot' yah and Claws because yah _lost_ de number." He started to laugh again. Suddenly, he sat up. "Merci beaucoup, ma soeur." He said and kissed her cheek, bouncing to his feet.

For the life of her, Ororo couldn't conjure up the will to ask Remy what he was thanking her _for._

_

* * *

_

Logan had never been one for subtle schemes and plans, which is why when Rogue had been planning to kill Bobby with her bare hands to get her message across, he approved. Sometimes, subtle just didn't send the point as well as a good kick in the balls or the cracking of bone. So, after he'd gotten permission to enter Rogue's domain and Rogue herself was pulling piles of clothes out her bags she'd since taken the time to set on the bed, he didn't _bother_ with trying to beat around the bush.

"Kid, you and Remy," he paused and changed his mind and decided to take a different tactic. "Remy is-"

Rogue looked up from the other side of her bed. "Lemme guess." She interrupted. "He's a scoundrel, a complete rascal. He's got women lined up down the block to sleep with him and he's probably slept or will sleep with all of them." She unfolded the garment bag and unzipped it, pulling out a short black dress. "He's an absolute charmer without moral scruple, flirts with everythin' that moves, bad to the bone who will steal yer heart without even realizin' it and can't be touched by anythin' as simple complicated as love." She hung the dress up in her closet and turned to him. "Am Ah remotely close?"

"Uh, yeah." Logan crossed his arms and leaned against the door.

"Ah sort of figured that out already." Rogue tucked her hair behind her ear. "Ah have been keepin' track of him for almost two weeks now."

"I don't want you getting hurt, especially-" Logan trailed off at Rogue's raised eyebrow.

"Yah can't be thinkin' of comparin' Remy to Bobby?" She shifted her weight. Logan couldn't be serious.

"Well, Bobby-"

"_Cheated_ on me." Rogue said and tossed her hair, which ruined the work she'd done not thirty seconds before. "Is Remy a cheat?"

"Err- that,"

Rogue raised a hand. "In love, does Remy cheat when he's in a relationship?" She had to remember to be specific with Logan or he'd be manipulative enough to screw things to his own advantage. He didn't always act sly, but Logan did think and plan ahead.

Logan frowned. "No."

"Then, hypothetically, if Remy and Ah were in a relationship, Ah wouldn't have to worry about him cheatin' on me."

Logan sighed. "No."

"Then let's not compare Bobby, the ballsless little boy, to Remy, a man." Rogue held up her hands and held them out like she was weighing something with the hand that was supposed to represent Remy coming out on top. She dropped her hands. "Remy will stand or fall on his own faults, not Bobby's."

Logan crossed his arms. "I understand the concept of a rebound." He did to a degree or the Professor did and had tried to explain it. "Just, not Gumbo."

"A rebound?" Rogue's jaw dropped. "Wait, yah think Ah'm _reboundin'_. Logan, did yah suddenly revert to bein' thirteen or somethin'?"

"You just broke up with your boyfriend, it's human nature to have a fling style relationship with another," Logan gritted his teeth, "man, to get over it and move onwards to somethin' more," he couldn't finish.

Rogue furrowed her brow. "Serious." She wasn't sure if she was finishing his sentence or asking him in a single word if he was serious, because he was beginning to sound like the Professor and that was just plain scary.

"So, if you need to rebound, choose anyone, John or Warren or even _Hank._ Gumbo ain't a good choice." John might be a flame loving pyromaniac sociopath and Warren might have parental approval issues and Hank, well Hank was older and blue and somewhat prudish, but they were all better choices than Remy. Remy didn't ever seem to care about the hearts and bodies that he spent his nights of pleasure with. Rogue might not be able to have sex. It didn't make Logan any less worried about her even remotely crushing on Remy and him returning the flirtation. Remy would take it too far. Rogue would get hurt in the process when Remy dropped her like the mayfly he was and Logan, Logan would have to kill Remy for hurting Logan's best protégé (who was still not his daughter.)

Rogue crossed her arms. "Accordin' to what Ah said about him and women, Ah'd think he'd be the perfect choice for a fling relationship, if Ah was lookin' for such a thing, which Ah _ain't._" She kept her mouth shut on the fact she wasn't looking for a _fling_ because she was dating Remy in a _serious_ manner.

"Good."

"Glad to have yer approval." Rogue rolled her eyes. Not that she'd been looking for it or needing it.

"Keep it that way." Logan didn't want to see Rogue have a fling with any male, boy, man or otherwise.

"Logan!" Rogue threw her hands up into the air. "Ah like Remy. He's fun to be around and if yah were so worried about him and Ah, why did yah even ask him to come?" She asked. Logan shifted on his feet. Rogue mimicked his stance and crossed her arms. "Through me, by the way."

"You-"

"Me?" Rogue stared at him.

Logan glared at her for interrupting him and continued, starting over. "You need a new sparrin' partner and Ororo agreed that Gumbo was the best choice out of those we suggested to Chuck."

"Wait," Rogue put a hand on her head. "Yah don't want me gettin' into a relationship with Remy, but yah asked Remy to come here because Ah'm the one that needs a sparrin' partner which means, that Ah'm gonna have a relationship with Remy." She closed her eyes. "Yah make _no sense._" Her mind felt broken.

"Just, don't be reboundin' off of him and I'll be fine with you and him bein' friendly, but not too friendly."

Rogue cracked her eyes open. "Ah'm not even sure what that means. Do yah even know what that means? If yah explain it, Ah'll probably be even more confused."

"Uh, Rogue."

"And then Ah'd just go crazy if yah tried to expound upon it." She continued in a mutter. "It ain't like this place ain't the next best thing to a nuthouse, so hey, at least Ah wouldn't have to move and leave all mah stuff. Maybe Ah could get Wanda to move in with me and we could both be nutty together."

Logan was beginning to get worried. "Um, Marie?"

Rogue sighed and looked up. "Logan, yah make no sense some days."

"You are worryin' me, kid."

"Me?" Rogue blinked. "Ah'm worryin' yah? Yer the one goin' off about _rebound_ relationships and not getting' too friendly with Remy and yah are worried about me?" She shook her head. "Logan. I need to get dressed. Out." She pointed at the door.

"Things are happenin' fast."

"Yes, fast, the way Ah like them. Now out!" Rogue kept her hand pointed and thought about stomping her foot.

"And I don't want you to get hurt." Logan turned the door handle.

"That's inevitable and if Ah have to say it again, Logan, Ah'm throwin' yah out."

Logan ducked out the door as Remy and Ororo came out of the room next door. Logan shut the door carefully and glared at Remy. Remy's brow furrowed and he then wrinkled his nose and raised an eyebrow. "Oui, mon ami?" He asked.

Logan pointed at Remy. "If you hurt Rogue _ever_ I will kill you." Logan gave him another pointed glare.

Remy stared at him and then at Rogue's door. No. It couldn't be. Logan wasn't _warning_ him off Rogue was he? Well, Logan wasn't technically warning him off, but Logan was definitely warning him like Logan was Rogue's daddy. Remy's eyes widened. Logan didn't consider himself Rogue's _father_ did he? Sure, he'd been calling Rogue excessively on the trip back up but, mon Dieu. Logan did. Remy's heart began to pound. Rogue was Logan's little girl.

It'd be more amusing if Bella Donna hadn't been seriously contemplating coming after Rogue for what she'd done to Julien. Merci Dieu that he'd been able to convince her not to do so. Logan going after a person for hurting one of his charges was scary, the idea of Logan coming after the Assassin's because they hurt his _child_. Terrifying. Mon Dieu. Mon Dieu.

Logan must have heard his heart speed up and took it wrong. "I see we understand each other."

Remy turned his head away from Rogue's door to look at him. "Yah have serious daddy issues." He said.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "I am not Rogue's father."

"Yah sure do act like it." Remy rocked on his heels and smirked. "Urges to stay up late and make sure she makes it home safe? Polishin' shot guns just in case some bastard gets her pregnant? Makin' her favorite breakfast? Takin' special trips just the two of yah to bond?"

Ororo laughed. "Sounds like them."

Remy grinned. "See. Daddy issues, mon ami. Do yah braid her hair?"

Logan growled. "No."

"Tsk." Remy glanced at Ororo. "He needs more practice. Threatenin' would be much more effective if he knew how to braid ma cherie's hair or else someone is just gonna waltz right in and take o'er de privilege."

Ororo shook her head and stifled a laugh. "I don't see what one has to do with the other."

"When yah two have children, yah will understand." Remy nodded and walked past them down the hall. If Logan wasn't close enough of a father to braid Rogue's hair then Remy didn't worry as much about Logan's threats. He didn't worry too much about Logan's threats to begin with. Though, the closeness factor might be Rogue's mutation interfering with the natural order of things. However, Remy now had a new past time to take up with Rogue when he got the opportunity. And there was no way he was going to give up an opportunity to get his fingers and hands in Rogue's beautiful, soft, long, red hair.

Ororo still didn't get it. Logan didn't either. He just decided to ignore what he didn't understand in favor for what he did.

"Wait," Logan spun and followed him. "Who said we were havin' kids?"

Ororo sighed. "He knows."

Remy scratched his chin and rasped against stubble. "Well, mon ami, if yah and ma soeur are havin' sex, which yah _are_ t'en de idea dat yah two are havin' children ain't so difficult to contemplate because-" He paused and smirked at Logan, "dat is what de consequences of sex _is._" Remy paused in his chin scratching. "And t'en we get to see if yah parentin' abilities work wit' more t'an just de teenagers." He paused again and waved a hand. "And Rogue would get to be an older siblin' which might please her. Yah might want to get goin' before ma soeur starts gettin' too old."

"Remy!" Ororo flushed again.

"Well, it'd keep de two of yah too busy to interfere wit' everyone else's love lives." Remy clasped his hands behind his back. "'Cause yah have way too much time on yer hands if yah are inquirin' into Remy and ma cherie's." He looked at Logan and raised his eyebrows. "And Remy just _got here._"

"Preventative measures, Gumbo."

Remy bit his tongue. On the one hand, he had a response that was rather vulgar and on the other hand, it was far too late for Logan to prevent him and Rogue. Remy couldn't help the smile on his face.

He was dating Rogue.

And Logan couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Bobby encounters Rogue and wants to talk, an action that Rogue isn't so keen on given she's got a sexy Cajun waitin' on her and when that doesn't work, Bobby tries again.  
_


	20. Chapter 20

**Queen's High  
****Chapter Twenty: Insults at Harry's**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** After a trip to recruit a certain Cajun, and a get to know you trip back, at the mansion, Bobby tries to talk to Rogue and gets shut down, at the bar, Bobby tries to talk to Rogue again and apparently didn't learn his lesson the first time.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. And yes, I created the Fraternal Order of the Barkeep. If anything else I'm writing ends up here on , do expect to see it again. :D

Things hadn't changed around Xavier's since Rogue left. The school was still small and the gossips were still hard at work and given that Rogue had just returned. There were two rumors now flying about the Staff at Xavier's (since the Staff were the only people who were currently residing in the mansion.) One was that the new guy was extremely hot, as in smoking sexy, and extremely flirty. The other was that Rogue had dyed her hair and she looked amazing.

Bobby didn't yet have any interaction with the new guy to be able know if the first rumor was true. He waited at the bottom of the stairs and jangled his keys in his hands as he waited and stopped as Rogue appeared at the top of the stairs finishing zipping up her coat. He stared, jaw slightly agape as she came down the stairs. Her hair had been dyed to a beautiful red orange that when the last of the sun hit it reflected off of a few gold strands. It made her skin seem warmer and intensified the green color of her eyes. She was gorgeous.

She glanced at him and then walked right past him, leaving a trail of orange blossom scented perfume in the air behind her.

Bobby jerked himself out of his haze. "Rogue!" He started after her, hoping to catch up. She ignored him. He took a deep breath and said. "I just want to talk." He trailed behind her.

"Ah'm walkin'." She said and didn't slow down. She didn't want to _talk_. There was nothing to talk about. She and Bobby were over. She was through with him and that was that. Remy was waiting for her by the back door (most likely smoking) and they were going to ride their bikes to Harry's.

Bobby took a half run, half jump forward and managed to get by her side. "I could give you a ride to Harry's." He knew he sounded desperate. He didn't care. "We always go together."

She looked over at him and her lips twitched into a mocking half smile. "When we were datin'. We ain't and Ah _got_ transportation."

"I made a mistake. I know that."

"No." Her eyebrows rose. "Yer mistake is thinkin' that Ah give a damn."

"I'll change."

"Ah won't." Rogue said. There was a lot more wrong with the two of them than just his cheating. He didn't want to recognize the woman she'd become. He wanted her to go to college. She didn't want to go at this point in time. Hell, she wasn't sure what she would go for. She had a job. And she was still a runaway ward of Mississippi State. She wanted to wait until she was legally emancipated before making her way back into the bigger world. Bobby had his set little track of life and she just didn't fit that mold. She tilted her head. "It'd be one thin' if this was the _first_ time we'd been through this song and dance. It ain't. Ah'm through. We're o'er."

Bobby could feel this whole thing slipping through his fingers. "Rogue. I'm sorry, please. Emma's gone. I don't want her. I want you."

Rogue could see the back door coming up. She spun on her toe a few paces from it, picked him up by his stupid pullover shirt and slammed him into the wall. "Listen yah immature, miserable, two timin', word breakin', pathetic, rotten piece of dog shit that ain't fit for worms. Yah had to have everythin' and now yah got _nothin_'. Life ain't all about _you._ That good thin' we had goin'. It's gone. And no matter what yah say, Ah ain't taken yer dead beat lousy carcass back." She straightened and ran her hands down his shirt fixing the wrinkles. "Now, the new man is waitin' for me." She smirked at him and finished her walk to the door. She flung it open and then with extreme care, shut it quietly behind her.

Bobby sank downwards using the wall to support himself as his knees weakened.

Remy leaned against the wall near the door. A cigarette dangled from between his lips. He held in laughter even as he made notes in his head not to cheat on Marie, ever. Not that it was in his nature. He was a firm believer in fidelity when it came to relationships. But that, that little chewing out, had been _good._ He grinned at her.

She smiled back, not caring if Remy had heard her and Bobby or not. "Ready to go, sugar?"

Remy took a last drag off the cigarette, charge it and flung it away from him. He held out an arm and she snuggled into his side. "Let's ride, cherie."

They walked around the mansion together. Remy looked around as Rogue who had seen it far too many times to count, gave him a small tour and pointed things out to him. He nodded in all the appropriate places.

Logan sat astride his Harley and leaned on the handlebars. He grinned at Rogue as they came into view. "So, race to Harry's, kid?"

"Sure." She grinned and then looked up at Remy. "Yah know how to get there, Cajun?"

"Logan explained de way and t'en Remy asked Ororo for bettah directions, bebe."

Logan growled as Rogue reached up and patted Remy's cheek and Remy kissed the palm of her hand. "Good thinkin'." Rogue said.

"Last one there buys the first round." Logan sat back and started his engine.

Rogue broke free of Remy's hold and straddled her own bike and Remy got on his. He started it and looked over at Logan. "Maybe we should let ma cherie win, since she's comin' home and all."

Rogue started her bike and revved the engine to get Remy's attention. He looked over at her. She raised an eyebrow and said in precise tones. "Yah need a handicap, sugar?"

Logan figured that must have meant something else to Remy because Remy's eyes narrowed under his sunglasses.

"Go." Remy said in a mild tone. There was nothing mild about the way he took off on his bike. Rogue laughed and was right after him. It was only Logan's reflexes that let him keep up. The three bikes tore out of the front gates and down the road.

* * *

Bobby leaned against the side of his car, a Porsche Boxter with his arms crossed in the parking lot of Harry's while the other teachers talked to each other in small groups. They were waiting on Rogue, Logan and the new guy who had to ride their motorcycles and despite the fact that they had left the gate going at extreme rates of speed were late. Bobby scowled. It was Rogue's night. One would think she'd at least show up and not make everyone else wait. He shifted his weight.

He wasn't going to give up getting her back. Sure, the first conversation hadn't gone well, but she was angry. She'd get over it and then things would go back to normal.

Ororo smiled at something Hank said and Bobby heard her say, "They're racing."

Xavier, braced on a cane, turned his head. "Here they come."

Ororo placed a hand on his arm. "Thank you." She said and walked to the edge of the driveway where it met the road. She stood at military rest until she saw the first motorcycle come into view with the other two close behind it. She shifted her weight onto one hip and put a hand on it. She raised the other into the air, fingers outstretched.

Rogue flew past Ororo on her bike. Ororo dropped her arm and spun, her hand curling into a fist by her thigh. Rogue shifted her weight on the bike and sent it into a controlled sideways skid, stopping it. A dust cloud formed around her. Remy and Logan drove past Ororo and then her. The wind of their passage whipped Rogue's and Ororo's hair. Rogue raised her hands into the air making devil horns and laughed.

The other two stopped their bikes and turned them around. Rogue smirked at Logan. "Ah won!"

Remy and Logan looked at each other. Logan shook his head. "Cocky little brat."

Remy laughed. "Yah lost fair and square, mon ami. Yah are de one buyin'."

Rogue twitched her shoulders up and down and smiled tossing her head back and forth. She backed her bike up into an open area between some of the cars, humming.

"Two cocky brats." Logan muttered and they parked their bikes next to Rogue.

Rogue grinned at him and spun her leg over her bike, sliding off. Remy got off his bike and they met two strides away from them, Remy's hand on Rogue's waist. Rogue looked over her shoulder and grinned at Logan. "Yah are still buyin'."

Bobby's throat clenched. What the hell was the new guy doing holding onto Rogue?

Remy leaned his head down. "And what makes yah think, ma cherie, dat Remy didn't let yah win." He said soft enough so that only her and Logan could hear.

"Hey!" Logan growled and got off his bike.

"Handicap." Rogue smirked up at Remy.

"No way Remy was lettin' yah win, Claws." Remy shouted at Logan. He opened the door for Rogue.

Harry looked up from where he was wiping down the counter of the bar and serving customers. "Rogue! You're back!" Unlike his name, Harry wasn't really all that hairy. He had big brawny arms covered in tattoos, the physique of a guy that still worked out, long gray hair pulled back into a ponytail and a smile that made you want to tell him all your troubles.

Rogue grinned. "Aww, Harry. Did yah miss me?" She led Remy to bar and leaned against the dark worn surface.

"Had Logan in here very night, drinking my beer, brooding." Harry shook his head. "Sad it was."

"He sent me to N'Awlin's to pick up a Cajun." Rogue glanced at Remy. "Took longer than he expected."

"A Cajun?" Harry asked and picked out a bottle of Southern Comfort. He looked at Remy, not recognizing him but assuming he was the Cajun. He poured a couple fingers into a glass and slid it towards Rogue.

Rogue lowered her eyelashes. "There were so many handsome choices Ah had a hard time choosin' just one."

Remy slid up behind her and put his hands on her hips. "But yah have perfect taste, bebe."

Rogue's eyes half closed. "Ah decided to keep this one, somethin' about his eyes." She turned her head and looked at Remy, smiling. "Harry, this is Remy Lebeau, recently of Louisiana."

Remy smiled at her then looked up at Harry and held out his hand. "Bonjour."

Harry shook it. "Good to meet you, Remy. What will it be? First rounds for you two are on the house."

"Bourbon."

Harry picked up the bottle of his finest Bourbon and held it up from Remy to see. Remy nodded and Harry poured him a portion. Remy picked it up and took a sip, nodding again in appreciation. "Bon." He grinned and set it down. "De second round is on Logan. He lost de race."

Rogue snickered. Harry chuckled and pulled a beer out a fridge under the bar. "He'll want this then." He said and pulled the top off with a quick twist of his wrist. Remy didn't need to glance at the licenses on the wall (though he had because it was second nature) to know that Harry was part of the Fraternal Order of the Barkeep, just like Gascon back home. There was just something about the members of what they called informally the Brotherhood of Bartenders (though they weren't gender discriminating) that made one feel like one was at their favorite pub no matter what pub or tavern or bar it was. They knew what one wanted to feel at home and never forgot a favorite drink. Remy approved.

"Remy will take it back. Take yer coat, ma cherie?"

"Thanks sugar." She said and unzipped it, sliding it off her shoulders. Harry's eyebrows rose because at it first it didn't look like she was wearing anything underneath it except thick leather strap jewelry. It was a fanciful colorful dragon embroidered into the sheer chiffon that was almost the same color as Rogue's skin that gave the game away. Remy was tempted to slide his hands under the sheer shirt to see if the light tan leather bustier was also there. Rogue smirked at Remy.

He met her eyes. "Tres bien."

Rogue smiled at him and it looked smug. "Why thank yah."

Remy looked at Harry and winked. He folded Rogue's coat over his arm and took both his and Logan's drink. He cut his way through the crowd towards the table in the back where Logan and Ororo were sitting. Harry shook his head as Rogue watched him for a few minutes before turning back to him. She picked up her Southern Comfort and took a sip. She raised her eyebrows at him and Harry grinned.

"So, good trip?" He asked.

"Mmm, definitely. Ah took mah sweet old time on the way back, much to Logan's annoyance but Ah got to ride o'er a dozen coasters and see some sights that were worth the time." She smirked at him and it was her turn to wink.

Harry checked to see if he had any more customers he needed to attend to, but the rest of the teachers had taken seats at several tables and the servers were taking their orders. He leaned on the bar on the opposite side. He had some time to talk. "Oh?"

Rogue nodded and started to tell him about her trip, smiling and making motions with her hands and glass. Across the room, Bobby watched her, shredding a paper straw cover with his fingers. He'd seen the entire interaction between her and the new guy and he struggled to keep calm and rationalize it. Rogue was a beautiful girl and the two had just been on a long trip together (a completely unnecessary long trip in Bobby's opinion) and the new guy was rumored to be flirty. That's all the interaction meant. Rogue was a sweet girl. They'd just gotten to be friendly.

And it all didn't matter, because Rogue was Bobby's girl. This new guy was just a distraction.

"What are you waitin' for, mate?" John asked.

Piotr shook his head. "I don't think now is a good time."

Bobby hadn't told them that he'd already tried to talk to Rogue and been rejected. He clenched his jaw. John shook his head. "Just go talk to the Sheila." He said.

Bobby nodded and got up. "We'll be back." He put his hands in his back pockets and approached Rogue from the side. "Rogue."

Rogue took a sip of her drink. "We already talked."

Harry frowned and looked at Rogue. She rolled her eyes at Harry.

Bobby stiffened his spine. He would get through to her. "I wasn't done."

Rogue raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Well, I am, but go ahead and spit it out if it's eatin' at yah so bad."

Harry idly reached for a towel and began wiping down glasses. He needed to stick around and hear this.

"I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Yah got a real funny way of showin' it. Still listenin'." Rogue set her drink down and turned her head to look at him.

Bobby felt a little hopeful. She was listening and that was a start. "I regret what I did. I really do and I'm ready to put it behind me. I adore you and you're just, you're everything."

Rogue didn't look impressed. She didn't even believe him. He'd said he would change before and she wasn't stupid. If it looked like a duck, and quacked like a duck, there was a pretty damn good chance it was a duck, or at least in this case a cheating bastard. "Yah believe them lies. Ah'll give yah that."

Bobby pushed past her words. "Please come back Rogue. We're good together. You know we are."

"Yah ain't said one right thin' yet." Rogue shook her head and shifted around to face him. He swallowed at her attire and she smirked. "Eyes are up here."

He flushed and jerked his gaze to her face. "You're beautiful. Whatever I need to do. I'll do it."

"Ah ain't sure what stage of grief yah are in, Peaches, denial or bargainin'. It sure is pathetic." She crossed her arms.

Harry snorted.

"I messed up."

"And now it's dead. Dead is dead. I don' trust yah." Rogue shook her head.

"And whatever it takes, I'll do it to get your trust back. I'll change. I'll do better. Please."

"I never knew beggin' suited yah." Rogue leaned her head back and looked down her nose at him. "Yah got issues Bobby. Yah seem to think that yah could do shit and not get burnt for it. Actions have consequences, Peaches." And she had a new man now, one that could do things that Bobby wouldn't even dream of doing.

"At least let me buy your drink."

Rogue's eyebrows flew upwards at that. "Keep yer money, Bobby. Yah are gonna need it."

Harry choked and started coughing. "Swallowed wrong." He managed. "Sorry."

Rogue grinned. At least Harry had gotten the insult, though Bobby just looked confused.

Across the room, Remy leaned closer to Logan. "Yah have no idea what type of trouble dat femme is." He shook his head and took a swallow of his bourbon, ignoring that several of the other teacher's that had yet to be introduced were dangling over their seats to listen to him. Remy glanced at Rogue. He'd seen when one of the other teachers had approached her, the pretty boy jock type and Remy was keeping an eye on her. So far, she seemed to have things well in hand. Remy knew all to well how quickly that could change.

"I know." Logan shook his head.

"Non. Yah have no idea on how many fights dat Remy had to drag dat femme out of, or dat we almost got into." Remy shook his head. Logan grinned his psychotic grin at Remy. Remy decided maybe he should provide an example. "On de way up here, somewhere in de Carolinas Remy t'inks, we were travellin' on de highway and takin' our time. Dare's t'is pub dat Remy likes, has good alcohol, good food, one of t'ose joints where t'ey actually let yah smoke. Rosa is de barkeep, good solid Irish femme." Remy raised his eyebrows. "Mais, t'is group of riders on Japanese crotch rockets pass us goin' 'bout hundred or so." Remy rolled his eyes. "Obviously t'ey were racin' each ot'er. De next t'in' Remy hears is ma cherie's bike revving up and she takes off after dem." Remy used his hands to show Logan. "Course, Remy had to speed up to catch up wit' her." Remy rolled his eyes and Logan chuckled. Remy continued. "We blow past dem goin' two hundred, two fifty, get to de pub earlier t'an Remy was expectin', and had some time to kill. So we had a bite to eat, Remy was smokin' and Rogue had her feet up when de biker gang walks in." Remy had to take a sip of his bourbon. Jubilee's eyes widened. "T'ey ain't happy. Ain't Remy's fault dat t'ey ride crappy bikes and dat ma cherie adores goin' fast and has to be de Queen of de road. But dare is more of dem t'an dare is of us and t'ey feel cocky. Big mistake. T'ey strut over in t'eir cute biker drag racin' outfits and start to pick a fight. So, ma cherie tells dem to get back onto t'eir bikes and piss into de wind."

"And you didn't get into a fight." Jubilee's jaw dropped.

Remy grinned. "In French." He tilted his head. "Allez récupérer sur vos velos et aller pisser contre le vent." The words flew off his lips. "Remy loves French, makes de nastiest t'in's sound beautiful. None of dem knew French of course, so t'ey get even more hyper. Rogue buys dem all drinks. By de first round of pool and de second verse of Black Velvet we were all friends." Remy shook his head and he saw Rogue move away from the bar. Merde. He picked up his Bourbon and finished it in a hefty swallow. "And now Remy best go get ma cherie before she gets in more trouble." He stood and paused. "Not dat she's isn't tres belle when she's causin' trouble." He winked and cut across the floor.

Logan, Ororo and the other teachers stared at his back not entirely sure what he had seen that they had missed.

Rogue narrowed her eyes at Bobby. He wasn't getting it. She'd said it as blatantly as possible several times. She was done. She wasn't coming back. She was through with Bobby. She had pride, damn it. Had he really expected her to stick around waiting for his cheating ass to get into proper gear? She wondered if hitting him would actually make him realize she didn't _want_ him anymore. She wasn't his girlfriend. She was happy, perfectly fine without him. Harry was looking between them, unsure if there was going to be a physical fight or not. Rogue ignored him and focused on Bobby. "Ah had a life before yah and Ah've got a life without yah. Ah ain't yer one."

"I feel like I don't have a life without you." Bobby widened his eyes and put all the pleading he could into that sentence.

Rogue closed her eyes and inhaled. She was going to throttle Bobby any second now. She smelled spices, cigarettes, some sort of woodsy musk and Bourbon. She opened her eyes as Remy slid a hand onto her waist, moving it until it cupped her stomach, his body pressing into her back as he placed his lips next to her ear.

"Are yah gonna break his arm too?" He asked.

Rogue smiled. "Ah'm thinkin' on breakin' yers."

Remy's eyes lit up until it looked like they were actually smoldering embers. His voice dropped into the husky range and he moved his head further down that if he wasn't careful he'd touch the skin of her neck. "Come dance wit' yer Cajun, bebe."

She carefully turned her head and grinned at him, Bobby completely forgotten. She slipped a hand over the one on his stomach and twisted in his arms, placing her other hand on his shoulder and she walked him back towards the dancers, their eyes locked. He twirled her close to him once they reached the floor.

Bobby stared after them, his eyes wide but his fist clenching.

Harry poured straight whiskey into a shot glass. "Here kid. You look like you need this."

The song changed into something slow and Rogue slid up closer to Remy, wrapping her arms around his neck. She said something and Remy grinned at her. The lengths of their bodies rubbed together as they moved with the music.

Bobby knocked the whiskey back and had to hold onto the bar to be able to breath. It didn't help at all. He nodded at Harry and worked his way back to the table, avoiding looking at Rogue and Remy the entire way.

John clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, you tried mate. He's just got finer moves than you do."

"And a fine ass," Jubilee said. "I don't know about you girls, but I wouldn't mind getting better acquainted with it."

Lorna snickered. Emma just glared. And Kitty rested her head on Piotr's shoulder and murmured something reassuring into his ear. Piotr didn't seem worried.

Bobby sat. "Thanks a lot." He raked a hand through his hair.

John grinned. "Anytime, mate."

On the dance floor, Rogue moved her arms and hands downwards so she could rest her head on Remy's shoulder.

Logan sighed and took a drink off of his beer. "I should just give in to the inevitable, shouldn't I?" He asked Ororo.

Ororo smiled. "He's quite smitten."

Logan looked at his beer and shook his head. He was going to need a lot more beer if Remy was smitten with Rogue. He jerked his head to the side as Remy's hand slid down to cup Rogue's ass and Rogue didn't slap him. Yeah. A lot more beer.

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_reviews are love, love me?_

_Next time in Queen's High... feeling bored Logan starts a poker game knowing Remy's fondness for it, this was probably a bad idea given Remy's and Rogue's history with poker_.


	21. Chapter 21

**Queen's High  
****Chapter Twenty-One: A Friendly Game of Poker**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** After a trip to recruit a certain Cajun, and a get to know you trip back, at the bar Logan starts a poker game, discovers some things he didn't want to know and due to a little bourbon, Rogue and Remy's night ends on a nice note.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. **Warning: Contains Slightly Mature but non Graphic content. T14** I'm calling this barely squeaking a T rating, any more it would be M.

_To Mystique (and anyone else who cares): So, you've read all preceding 20 chapters including the note to Scottfan and now you review to tell me that you don't like my plot essentially without any way for me to get back to you privately. Forgive me if at this point, I can't take you seriously. You've never reviewed before, I don't know you, and if you don't like the way things have been going, I don't know why you're still here. Chapter 20 isn't the appropriate time for this discussion. (One that I would have and did have with Lost before I would have it with you.) That was back at chapter 10, maybe earlier. To address your review. 1) To answer your question if Rogue always wins would reveal plot and I will not reveal plot ever. 2) Rogue is acting in an immature fashion, an experienced Rogue would take out her anger in a more constructive manner than leading men on and picking fights. (Since I pin her as a Sagittarius, how much is debatable, but that's a matter of opinion.) 3) This is a humorous and entertaining story, not a story where Rogue dumps her man, picks a fight, is beaten to a bloody pulp, almost raped and has to be saved by the dashing Remy. If that is the story you want with older and Harlequin Romance roles, please, go write it yourself. I'll respect your plot and genre choices if you write, please respect mine. Otherwise if you continue to read fine, if you don't, fine. Thank you for reading this far, I'd be more than happy to discuss plot, story, conflict, action and movement with you in an appropriate venue, because being anon helps neither of us._

_This goes out to all of my readers, if you are interested in chatting with me about the concepts or even particulars of plot, story and other storytelling techniques and gimmicks. I am always happy to discuss it in PMs or Emails or over AIM. I cannot and will not discuss such things in A/Ns because of anonymous messages. Without further ado, please enjoy what you actually came for, the story..._

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Logan paused in the middle of dealing cards as Rogue approached the table. She held another glass of Southern Comfort in her hands. She tilted her head and stopped near the table.

"You playin' kid?" Logan asked. He knew she liked poker and that she was quite good at it.

Rogue took a sip of her drink and her lips twitched. "Is Remy playin'?"

Remy leaned back in his chair. "Oui."

Rogue looked at Logan. "Then no. Remy and Ah only bet one thin' and it wouldn't be _fair_ right now." She said. Logan's eyes narrowed and he looked over at Remy. Remy was looking at Rogue and his best most amused charming grin that showed teeth flashed at her. Logan's brow furrowed.

"T'is game is much too tame for de likes of yah and Remy, ma cherie." Remy said.

Logan looked at the small stack of money in the middle of the table and his eyes narrowed. His mind churned as he started to put things together. His hands twitched as he got it.

"Rogue." He growled.

She and Remy had played strip poker.

Remy was a dead man.

Remy met Logan's furious eyes and raised both eyebrows in a classic 'what?' expression.

Rogue walked around the table and leaned against the back of Remy's chair, leaning down to put her drink on the table. "So, Ah'll just stand here, watch and give Remy advice."

Remy turned his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. "Remy don' need yah advice, cherie. Remy _won._"

Logan's jaw clenched and for a split second he thought that Remy had seen Rogue naked, until Rogue spoke up.

Rogue's jaw dropped. "Yah did _not._ Yah refused to turn o'er yah cards and until yah have _proof_ otherwise which yah _don'_, Ah won."

"Yah did not. Yah had a full house, Remy had four of a kind." Remy had his eyes locked with Rogue's and neither of them seemed to care about the rest of the table.

"Yah dropped the cards."

"Yah were chasin' Remy."

Logan wanted to tear his hair out. They were bickering over who had won a game of strip poker. He glanced over at Bobby, who'd been steadily drinking most of the evening. Bobby had his hands clenched around a beer bottle and his jaw clenched. Logan wasn't sure if the younger man had figured out what Remy and Rogue were arguing over or if he was just upset that the two looked like they were about to kiss at any moment.

"'Cause yah wouldn't show yah cards." She smirked. "How did yer game of fifty-two card pick up go, by the way?"

"Quietly." Remy pouted. "T'ey were under de beds ma cherie. Yah didn't have to kick dem so hard."

"Ah didn't kick them under de beds. Yah did." Rogue said.

"Yah had to go o'er de cards to get to Remy, so yah kicked dem. If Remy had known yah had wanted him so _badly_." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Ororo's eyes widened for a moment as she figured out that Remy and Rogue had shared a room at least once on the way up. She glanced at Logan. His knuckles were white on the cards. Logan had _known_ and he hadn't told her. Oh goddess, what else had Rogue and Remy gotten up to that Logan did or didn't know about.

The bottle in Bobby's hands iced over.

Rogue snickered. "T'en why did yah run? And yah ran back around _through _them. If yah had just shown yer cards."

"Dat wasn't in de stated rules."

Rogue smirked. "It ain't mah fault dat yah were too chicken, Ah was perfectly willin' to go through wit' it Cajun."

Remy's jaw dropped. "T'en yah owe Remy, bebe." He could feel the rising shock and anger coming from different parties around the table as they started to put things together. He didn't care about it. He and Marie were grown adults and he wasn't changing the way he acted for anybody.

"Ah do not. Yah agreed that neither of us won. So." Rogue sniffed. "Too late now." She paused. "And Ah still don't believe yah about the four of a kind." She reached down and her hand hovered over her Southern Comfort for a moment before moving over and picking up his Bourbon instead. She took a sip of it and set it back down.

Remy's brow furrowed. He didn't even seem to notice that Rogue had taken his drink instead of hers. "Weren't we keepin' dat a secret from Logan, ma cherie?"

Rogue blinked. "So we were, Sugar. But Ah still won." Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe yah actually owe me."

Remy glanced over at Logan. "Are yah gonna finish dealin' mon ami?" He asked. He then returned to his conversation with Rogue. "And Remy does not."

Rogue's hand reached down and into the pocket of her coat. She pulled out the same deck of Ace cards they'd used at the hotel and waved it in front of his eyes. He reached for it. "Uh uh. Mah deck. Ah deal." She pulled it back, opening it and tapping the cards in her hands. She fanned them out so Remy could see that they were all there. He nodded. And she pulled out the jokers. She pushed Remy's hand of cards back towards the middle of the table and set the deck down. Remy split it in two and set them back together, what had been the top was now the bottom. Rogue picked up the deck and started to shuffle them with one hand.

Logan growled. Rogue met his eyes and her expression didn't change at all. Logan gritted his teeth.

"Rogue." He said again.

She smiled and dealt the cards. She slammed down two cards each for her and Remy, then a burn card, the flop, a burn card, the turn card, the last burn card and then the river. Logan glared at her. She turned them over and spread them out in a quick movement.

She turned her cards over and Remy reached over and turned over his. They both glanced at the community cards and Rogue's smirked. She put her lips down by Remy's ear. "Ah win, Sugar." She slid her hand down his chest.

Logan actually growled this time.

Remy blew out a laugh. "Remy will show yah yer prize later, ma cherie."

Rogue's eyes flipped up to look across the table at Bobby. "From what Ah've seen it's quite a prize." She murmured into Remy's ear. Bobby couldn't hear her from across the table, but her smile conveyed the entire message. If he froze the bottle anymore, it would shatter. She reached down and swept up her cards, putting them back in the box. "Yah'll gonna play yer cards or what?"

Remy dragged his hand of cards back and looked under the corners. He picked up his Bourbon and took a sip, passing it to Rogue when he was done. Rogue took her own sip and gave it back, then started to play with his hair, her other arm on the top of the back of his chair. "Thank yah for pickin' up mah knife by the way." She said.

Ororo knew that pose. She'd seen Mercy stand just like that and play with Henri's head in the exact same manner a hundred times when they'd played poker down south. She ducked her head and smiled.

Remy blinked. "What was dat all 'bout anyways?"

Rogue curled a lock of Remy's hair around her fingers. "Just a trophy. It looked pretty." She shrugged.

Remy turned his head and looked up at her. "Oh."

She grinned. "Well, Ah won."

"So yah did, dat time." He muttered darkly. Rogue laughed and pressed a finger to his lips. He pressed a kiss against it and turned back to the game. "And a tres belle win it was, oui?"

She leaned down and put her lips close to his ear. "Yah like watchin' me fight, Cajun." She said it so lowly, that only Logan could hear it.

Logan dealt the flop for the table game, his entire body tense as he tried to not explode at both Rogue and Remy. Exploding at them wouldn't do a damn bit of good, because Remy would laugh at him and Rogue would raise her eyebrow and deliver some sort of cutting line about adulthood and maturity when they were acting like juveniles on the playground.

He smirked. "Yah know it, bebe." He turned his head so that their lips almost touched.

She grinned and straightened. Remy checked his cards against the community cards in the middle of the table and compared the big blind to the small blind.

The game proceeded. Rogue leaned down from time to time to murmur into Remy's ear and he'd say something back. Their eyes met and glanced away, sharing smiles and sometimes very quiet disagreements about what to do. Occasionally, Logan twitched as Rogue gave Remy advice about the others in the game and Remy laughed. They acted far too much like a couple for Logan's comfort. And Rogue wouldn't _stop_ playing with Remy's hair.

Remy tried to concentrate on the game. Rogue was actually being quite helpful, even when they disagreed because that distracted Logan from what Remy was actually doing. She ran her fingers through his hair again, starting at his scalp and it was driving Remy crazy. Her perfume didn't bother him too much. He was used to it by now. Her body heat was welcome. But it was her fingers that were distracting him as he had an all to vivid imagination about what she could do with those fingers and how much he wanted to play with her hair. Now he knew why Henri always put Mercy on his lap when he played. He tried to ignore it for the next round of betting and couldn't.

He shoved his chair back and looked up at her, grabbing the hand that was about to start working through his hair again, entwining their fingers. He tugged on it. "Come here, bebe, yah are drivin' Remy nuts." He said. Rogue laughed and came around. She settled on his lap and carefully placed her head on his shoulder, making sure that their skin didn't touch. Remy sighed and went back to his cards. Rogue reached up and hooked her fingers under his necklace. He grabbed it. "Sha."

She laughed again and disentangled her hand, setting it on his shoulder. "Oui, hun?"

Logan scowled.

Remy ignored him. "Stop it."

Rogue grinned and reached over for her drink. "Ah don' want to." She took a sip and then right back to cuddling Remy.

Ororo looked over her cards at him. "Stealing moves from Henri's playbook, mon frere?"

Remy blushed and glared at her. "Finally get a Sout'ern Belle of Remy's very own and ma souer accuses Remy of stealin' moves from mon frere." He pouted.

Ororo snickered. "Because you are."

Rogue leaned her head back. "Which reminds me." She poked him. "Yah made me t'ink that Henri and Mercy were married."

Remy rolled his eyes. "T'ey have only been betrothed near fifteen years, ma cherie. T'ey might as well be but Mercy can't settle on a date. De last Remy heard. She was t'inkin' a Christmas weddin'."

Jubilee almost spit her drink out. "Fifteen years?"

Rogue pressed her lips together. "It's every woman's right to change her mind."

"Well, it ain't Remy's weddin'. Remy don' care. Remy has four responsibilities. Show up, plan and execute de bachelor party, hand mon frere de rings, and give de toast. Ot'erwise, it's not Remy's problem. Remy just wishes t'ey would get on wit' de next stage of life already and have children and stop bein' so nauseatin'ly in true childhood sweetheart love."

Ororo snickered. "You're jealous."

"Remy ain't. Remy wants to be de cool Oncle and get all de toys dat make de lights and de obnoxious noises." Remy grinned. "It will be fun."

Ororo raised her eyebrows. "And then he'll get back at you." She paused and realized that the next part of that sentence wasn't possible with Rogue. She looked down at her cards and shut her mouth, suddenly a little uncomfortable.

Rogue's brow furrowed and she put her head back on Remy's shoulder. Her heart sped up a little as it finally occurred to her what her being able to touch meant. She smiled and closed her eyes, inhaling Remy's scent. She could have her dreams. She could get married and have everything a marriage implied. She could have _children._

Remy shrugged at Ororo. "Dat is what famille's do." He said and wondered why Rogue was suddenly radiating such happy contentment. "But Mercy has to set a date first." He said.

Jubilee finally couldn't hold it in any longer. "How _old_ is your brother?"

"A few years older t'an Remy. He and Mercy are childhood sweethearts." Remy repeated. "T'ey were betrot'ed back when t'ey were young and maybe t'ey should have been married back t'en." Remy finished in a low tone. Henri and Mercy had been engaged before he'd even entered the household. "Non. Remy will have to make a special trip back home."

"Quit yer bitchin'." Rogue muttered. "Yah know yah love 'em."

"Remy does!" His eyes widened. "Remy just wishes dat Mercy would stop stringin' mon frere and de rest of de famille on already. It ain't like t'ey ain't sure of each ot'er. Yah've seen dem, sha. T'ey have been like dat for _years._" Remy shifted a little. "Lucky coo-yon." He muttered. He paused. "Fool." He translated.

"Merci, hun." Rogue turned her head and smiled into his neck. Remy was learning.

"See, you are jealous." Ororo nodded.

"Remy has no reason to be jealous of Henri. Remy has his _own_ Sout'ern Belle." Remy said firmly and shoved his bet into the middle of the table.

"Yah sure do, Cajun." Rogue muttered, her smile turning into a grin. Her head lifted as she heard the start of Black Velvet over the bar's loud speakers.

Remy grinned at her. "Yah just gonna sing, bebe or are yah gonna dance for Remy?"

She smirked back at him, ran a finger along his jaw before spinning off of his lap. She strutted away from him until she found a place where Remy could watch her before spinning in place and gyrating slowly with the music.

John dropped his cards as his jaw dropped in shock. Remy leaned his chair back and smirked, his eyes on Rogue.

Bobby's eyes tracked Rogue as she had gotten up and walked away from the table, her hips swinging and shoulders twitching. Bobby didn't know what Remy meant by dancing for him. Bobby didn't even know Rogue liked or could dance. So as she began to gyrate, her hands floating around her body, he about swallowed his tongue.

Logan covered his eyes and groaned. Rogue wasn't doing this. She couldn't be doing this. He wasn't going to take her out to bars anymore if she was going to start dancing erotically instead of just bouncing a little to the music.

The words started and Rogue sang along loud enough to be heard. She moved her head adding intensity to her performance, catching Remy's eyes at certain lyrics. Her hair fell across her skin, curled at the ends, catching on her shirt. The dragon looked strangely alive among the flowers embroidered around it as she writhed and turned her body.

Ororo glanced at Remy. He watched Rogue, his eyes hooded, bourbon in his hand. His smile was so slight you almost couldn't see it. Ororo glanced at Rogue as she caught Remy's eyes again as she started on the chorus. Ororo looked back at Remy. He'd seen this before, she was sure, but he looked hungry. He _wanted_ Rogue. Ororo looked back at Rogue, half lost in the music and in her singing, half of her attention on Remy, enough to know that Rogue was dancing and singing for him because she wanted to dance and sing for Remy, flaunting her body for him.

"Go Rogue." Lorna laughed.

Logan glared at Lorna, as did Bobby.

The end of the song came up and Rogue strutted back to Remy who turned his chair out for her. She put her hands on the arms of his chair and leaned over him, singing the last line of the song. His hands came up and grabbed her waist. Their eyes locked, foreheads close. Remy pulled her down into his lap.

Logan shoved his chair back.

Ororo grabbed his arm. "Come dance with me, Logan."

His head whipped towards her. "I don't dance."

Ororo stood up and tugged him with her towards the floor. "You do now."

Lorna looked over at Alex. "You know, that sounds like a great idea." She grabbed his hand and dragged him after Ororo.

The game forfeited, the rest of the table broke up, girls dragging their boys and others needing drinks.

Remy smirked. "Dat took longer t'an Remy thought it would."

Rogue laughed, it was caught somewhere in her throat. "Yah are cracked, sugar."

"All o'er, ma cherie." He said. He twisted his head and pressed a kiss to her lips. She moaned, melting against him. He pulled back as he realized she wasn't the least bit nervous or afraid. He slid his fingers under her shirt to touch the inch of skin between her corset and her pants. She sighed. He kissed her again, her eyes closed and they broke away just before Logan looked over. Remy reached for the closed deck. He opened it, shuffled and dealt it out. She glanced at it and so did he. He smirked. "Remy wins t'is time."

Rogue lowered her voice. "Do yah think we can sneak out?"

Remy looked past her. "Oui, even de blue boys have femmes flirtin' wit' dem."

Rogue pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot behind his ear. "Good." She said.

Remy smirked. "If Remy knew a little bourbon was all it took to relax yah, ma cherie. We'd have been touchin' all de way up."

She laughed again. "Then we best hurry, before it wears off. Yah owe me, sugar."

"And yah, Remy." He said.

They stood up, Remy helped her into her coat and they snuck out along the sidewall to the door. Rogue waved at Harry and he shook his head, grinning. Rogue showed Remy the fast way back to the mansion and let them in through the garage entrance.

He kissed her all the way up the stairs.

"Mah room, sugar." She whispered, as she took off her gloves, tucking them into her coat pocket.

He moaned in agreement, opening her door behind him. She flicked on the light and pushed him away. She took off her coat and so did he. She pulled off the delicate over shirt carefully as he watched. She came over and started to unbutton his shirt, going up on tiptoes to kiss him as she did, pulling it out of his pants to get the last few buttons.

"No sex." He murmured against her lips. "Not yet."

"Not yet." She agreed and slid her hands under shirt to push it off. She whimpered at the feel of his skin under her hands, warm and soft. He parted her lips with his tongue, deepening the kiss as he undid the hooks that held the bustier together. He skimmed the tips of his fingers along her stomach, calloused and warm. She whimpered again, shuddering.

He picked her up and set her on the bed. Piece by piece they worked the rest of their clothes off until they lay next to each other completely nude. Rogue knew that the more skin they exposed to each other, the more chance that there was she'd absorbed him. It didn't matter. All that mattered was all the skin and the fact she could touch it. She ran her eyes down his figure and blushed a little as she saw how interested he was in her. He chuckled and leaned over, kissing her, nothing but their lips touching.

Her skin felt alive, it was burning or there were electrons dancing along it and all she could feel was the pressure of Remy's lips on hers and how his hair brushed along her cheek. She parted her lips for him wanting more, more touch, more skin.

He reached over and gently cupped her breast. She was so soft and smooth and completely and utterly untouched and she needed. He could _feel_ how much she needed as she arched upwards trying to get more of it. He'd give her all she wanted, as much as she wanted for as long as she wanted it from him.

Rogue grabbed him, pushing him down flat on the bed and rolling on top of him. She needed more touch, more skin, more of Remy and the way he tasted of bourbon and felt like muscled silk and smelled of cigarettes, bourbon and fine aftershave. He groaned, and buried a hand in her hair. He broke the kiss for a moment. "Marie." He whispered. "Sha." He said and ran a hand along her back. He kissed her again before she could talk. She shuddered and rubbed her body along his.

He rolled them back over and started to kiss down her neck.

She sighed and ran her hands along his arms as he cupped her hip with hands. She felt a tear forming on her eye. "Oh god, Remy." She whispered. She'd missed touch so much.

He lifted his head and came and kissed the tear away. "Shh, sha. Remy knows." He murmured. He brushed a kiss across her lips. It would be so easy to get carried away with her needs screaming across his empathy. He curled up around her. She sighed and pressed her body into him, tilting her head back so they could kiss. He stroked her skin, ran his fingers through her hair and she gradually did the same.

They both felt that they could stay that way forever.

Remy's head came up as the sound of cars broke through the night. "Merde." He muttered and went back to kissing her.

She moaned and responded.

* * *

Logan's eyes narrowed as he saw both Rogue's and Remy's bikes already parked in the garage. He sniffed and growled as he scented their arousal in the air. He didn't say anything to anyone else as he walked, not running because that would indicate a problem and he didn't want anyone else to pick up that something was wrong, so he walked through the mansion towards Rogue's and Remy's rooms. The scent of their arousal became stronger the closer he got.

He pounded on her door. "Rogue! Open up!"

On the other side of the door, Rogue glared at the door. Logan pounded again. She sighed and rolled out of the bed, picking Remy's shirt off the floor. Remy licked his lips as it fell to her thighs. She buttoned the important buttons as she picked her way through their abandoned clothes.

Logan pounded again. "Rogue. If I have to break this door down."

She rolled her eyes and pulled her hair out of the back. Remy snickered and went for his pants. She opened the door just enough so she could lean against the frame and Logan couldn't see past her. "Yah will do what?" She asked.

The veins in Logan's neck stood out. "Why are you wearin' Remy's shirt?"

She looked down. "It's comfortable. Ah think it's silk." She examined the sleeve.

"Is that Cajun in there?"

Rogue glanced over her shoulder and saw Remy roll his eyes. "We were conversin'." She said. She looked back at Logan. "Yah know, with our mouths."

Behind her Remy choked.

Logan took a step forward. Rogue held up her bare hand. Logan stopped instantly. Rogue held in a grin, there was an advantage to having skin that was a weapon. "Ah don' think so. Mah room and Ah can invite whoever Ah want in. Yah ain't invited."

Remy disappeared out the balcony doors. Logan sniffed and smelled the fresher air. He growled and took the necessary steps to get to Remy's room. He flung open the door to the dark room. Remy leaned in his balcony doorway shoeless, shirtless and the button of his leather pants undone.

"Ouias?" He asked and raised an eyebrow.

Logan's fist clenched. He had a good idea of what Remy had been doing with Rogue (or thought he did), but he had no way to _prove_ it. "You two have a Danger Room session at six."

Remy didn't need a clock to know it was after two. "Remy don' sleep much anyways." Remy shrugged.

Rogue frowned and reached into Remy's shirt pocket. She pulled out the marked suit of cards, fanning them out and began to giggle. He was still carrying them around. Logan turned his head and glared at her. She took a breath, shut the cards together, got herself under control and said. "Danger room. Six. Got it. Night, Sugar." She called out.

"Bonne nuit, ma cherie." He called back. Rogue turned and shut her door. Remy stared at Logan, crossing his arms. "Oui, mon ami?" He asked. Logan didn't even know where to start. He clenched and unclenched his fist a few times. Remy's lips kept twitching as he held back laughter. "All right t'en, bonne nuit, Claws. Shut de door on yer way to bed."

Logan shut the door.

Rogue landed onto Remy's balcony. He turned his head and his eyebrows rose.

"Yah forget somethin', sugar." She murmured and held up the cards.

He flushed and opened his mouth. She came over and pressed her body against him and plastered her mouth to his. He uncrossed his arms and rubbed his hands up and down her thighs, bunching up his shirt. She pulled away slowly and put the cards into his hand. "Sweet dreams, Cajun."

"You too, bebe."

She grinned at him and jumped back across the balconies and into her room. Her light turned off. Remy looked up at the stars and thanked God for finding such a woman. He pushed away from the door and went to bed.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I understand that it's pure cupboard love.)_

_Next Time in Queen's High... the next morning Bobby wishes it was all a bad dream and Remy takes a phone call from Mercy, God have Mercy on him._


	22. Chapter 22

**Queen's High  
****Chapter Twenty-Two: Scheming Belles Over Breakfast**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** After a trip to recruit a certain Cajun, and a get to know you trip back, at the mansion, Remy receives a phone call and is reminded of something he should have known already.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink.

_To ALL my reviewers: Thank you so much for your kind words of cupboard love, high praise and yes, even advice due to last weeks note to Mystique. You guys are SUPER DUPER AWESOME. I want all of you guys to know that despite whatever writing and story telling talent I may have, it wouldn't mean as much without you guys. I could post and post, and unless you guys responded all I would be doing is shouting to the empty internet (which is no fun.) I care if you're having a good time, because I had a good time writing this. And if there are ways that I can improve so you guys and I have a better time. I want to do it. Just... not back and forth through anon notes. Much love- PrettyGothGirl_

* * *

Bobby slumped over a bowl, his head on hand and stared into his rapidly congealing cereal. His head hurt and his body hurt and somehow his brain, mouth and just everything felt fuzzy. The aspirin he'd taken for the headache hadn't yet kicked in and he wasn't hungry, but he had to eat. He knew he had to eat. He reached for his coffee cup and hoped the caffeine would help the aspirin work better and that the day before had all been a bad dream.

No such luck. He took a large swallow and set the mug back down as Rogue, Remy and Logan entered the kitchen looking fresh from their morning danger room session. The new guy, Remy, had his arm around Rogue's waist and she was pouting.

"It ain't fair." She said. "Yah beat me."

Logan smirked. "You can't beat Gumbo on his first day here, Stripes. It ain't polite."

Remy laughed. "Desole, ma cherie. Remy had a slight advantage. Remy has seen yah fight." He said.

Logan's eyes narrowed, as did Ororo's. Ororo asked the obvious question that the entire kitchen and thus most the staff wanted to do so but didn't quite dare. "You've seen Rogue fight, Remy?"

Rogue shifted on her feet a little and bit her lip. Remy smirked. "Ma cherie broke Julien's arm." He snickered.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Is that what that prick's name was, God, he was obnoxious."

"It was beautiful." Remy grinned. "Remy has been wantin' to do dat for _years._" He pulled Rogue close and put his nose in her hair. Ororo's eyebrows rose. "Pancakes for breakfast, cherie?" He asked.

She shoved away from him. "Yah cook?"

Remy wiggled his eyebrows. "Remy is very talented."

Across the kitchen, Hank flushed as even he got that reference.

Logan growled as Rogue laughed at him. "Yes, Ah know." She said and winked. Remy snickered and sat her. Rogue leaned back in the chair and watched him walk around the kitchen, a smile playing on her lips. Bobby scowled as Remy brought Rogue coffee and started to cook food like he actually knew what he was doing in a kitchen. Rogue picked up her coffee, took a swallow and said. "Ah still could have won."

"Yah could have." Remy agreed.

"Exactly." Rogue nodded.

"But yah didn't." Remy smirked. "Remy is just a tiny bit bettah t'an yah." It had been a very close thing. She kept up with him quite well despite his superior agility and reflexes.

Rogue lifted her hand and let something fall out of her fist to dangle from her fingers. Ororo's eyes riveted to the silver necklace. She recognized it instantly, but not the Spade crystal charm hanging from it. Rogue smirked. "Missin' somethin', sugar darlin'?" She drawled.

Remy froze and his hand went instantly to his neck. He looked upwards for a second, his face full of exasperation and turned around. Merde. "Cherie!"

Rogue looked over at Logan still smirking. "Ah think that counts as a win for me."

Logan's eyebrow rose. Rogue was nuts, stealing from Remy, a Master Thief. He was about to agree that yeah, stealing from Remy, while not smart, was good given his experience and did count as win for her. But Remy had already stalked over to her, leaned over her in her chair and pulled the necklace from her fingers.

"Stop stealin' Remy's necklace." He said, eyes narrowed.

She smiled at him. "But Ah always return it promptly." She batted her eyelashes. "It's just so pretty now, sugar. Ah can't help it."

"De _first_ time yah took it, it was plain!" Remy hissed. "It's Remy's necklace. Leave it alone."

She pouted. "Ah know. Don't yah like the decoration Ah got yah, and may Ah borrow it from time to time?"

Remy's hands clenched on the chair's arms. She was utterly impossible. "Remy likes it just fine and yah have borrowed it. De terms and conditions stay de same." He pushed away from her chair and stalked back across the kitchen muttering about audacious femmes and sentimental value and how if she kept it up he was getting her one of her own. He went back to cooking.

Rogue grinned at his back. He was so touchy about it. She stole it _once_ and he was forever paranoid. Well, it was twice now, but still. Paranoia, thy name was Remy.

Jubilee glanced around the table and decided it was best to take matters into her own hands. "So, what really happened down south?"

Rogue picked up her coffee. "Ah sent Remy a message. We exchanged phone numbers and met for coffee."

Remy rolled his eyes. "Ma cherie has such a way wit' words." He said.

"Message, numbers, coffee." Rogue said firmly.

"Remy ain't disagreein'."

"And it took five days." Logan growled. "For this message, phone number exchange and _coffee._"

Rogue took a large swallow of her coffee and sighed, it was just the way she liked it. "So it did." She smiled at Logan. "Ah won't do it again. It weren't as easy as it sounded."

"And yah don' need to." Remy added.

"And Ah don' need to." Rogue repeated.

"How do yah like yer eggs, mon ami?" Remy asked. He knew how Rogue liked hers.

"Scrambled." Logan said. "Five days, Stripes."

Remy rolled his eyes again and muttered, "Of course," under his breath about Logan's eggs.

"Well, lessee, Ah saw some sights and had a nice dinner out one night. Played some pool at those bars yah recommended." Rogue sipped her coffee wrapping her fingers around it. "So, oui, five days Logan. It was well worth the effort." She smirked.

Remy finished cooking and set a rather full plate in front of Logan, and then another plate in front of Rogue before taking the empty seat next to her with one of his own and his own cup of coffee. He wrapped an arm about her shoulder and started to eat. He noticed the glare that Bobby sent at him and the rising temper of Emma down the table. He ignored it. "Oui. Remy t'inks so too." He grinned and cut his pancakes with the side of his fork.

Logan stared at his maple syrup drowned pancakes disgruntled. Remy had made them just the way he liked them. It was hard to stay mad at Remy when he did things like that.

"Yah are the one that sent me." Rogue pointed out and took a bite of her pancakes. "Mmm, these are good. Thank yah, Cajun."

"A pleasure, bebe." He said and shifted in his seat when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. "Merde." He muttered and pulled it out. He didn't even check. "Allo, Mercy." He said, because only Mercy would be up and awake enough to call at this time of morning.

"Remy," Mercy said. "Have you made it?"

"Oui." Remy looked upwards. "Remy and ma cherie made it to de school yesterday. Remy has already beaten ma cherie once."

Rogue frowned at him. "Yah don' have to tell everybody."

"Dat's not nice, Remy!" Mercy tsked. "Did yah get yer t'in's?"

"Oui. T'ey arrived before Remy did. De place is lovely. De company is interestin' and everyt'in' is fine." Remy shook his head. Mercy had seen the pictures of the place.

"Bon. Guess what, Rems?"

Remy closed his eyes. "Remy don' like guessin' games." He didn't mind giving them. He didn't like being on the receiving end.

"Aww, come on, mon frere."

"Non."

"Yah are no fun." Mercy sounded like she was pouting. "Ah've set a date! Ah've got invitations ordered and everyt'in'."

Remy's eyes flew open. "Merci Dieu." He muttered. "Finally."

"A Mardi Gras weddin'."

Remy's jaw dropped. "Mardi Gras, yah expect Remy to come back in de middle of de school year all so yah'll can get _married._"

Rogue's head jerked up and Ororo slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Yah will be t'ere, Remy or Ah swear Ah'll come and drag yer butt down here. Or, better yet, Ah'll have Marie do it." Mercy sounded smug. "How's Ororo?"

Remy scowled. "Mardi Gras. Ma soeur." He sighed. "Stormy is sittin' right here." He pulled the phone away from his ear and passed it across the table. "For yah."

"Don't call me Stormy." Ororo said and took it. "Mercy! Congratulations on the wedding."

"Ah'm so excited. Ah can't wait. Would yah be one of mah bridesmaids? Ah've missed yah so much since yah left and oh Ah could barely wait for Remy to be out of bed to call and talk."

"Remy was up at five. Logan assigned him and Rogue early morning sparring for some reason." Ororo said dryly. "And of course I will. I would love to be in your wedding, Mercy."

"Mon Dieu. Ororo, yah have to tell me all about Marie." Mercy said. Ororo mouthed the beginning of Rogue's Christian name and blinked as she remembered that Mercy was talking about Rogue. She couldn't believe that the entire family knew Rogue's real name. Could they? Mercy continued not knowing about Ororo's shock. "We are all so curious and yah know dat Remy is keepin' out all de best parts out about his girlfriend." Mercy said. Ororo about dropped the phone. Her eyes flew to Remy who was still eating his breakfast. Dating, Rogue and Remy were dating! Mercy continued to chatter. "He always does. It's been so long since he dated anybody and she made such an impression, we're dyin' for information down here."

Logan's head slowly turned to stare at Remy and Rogue. They ignored the two of them and continued to eat, not realizing that Mercy had just revealed their relationship.

Ororo swallowed and remembered her voice. "She's sitting next to Remy. Would you like to talk to her?"

"She's sittin' next to him. Oui, Ororo. Oui. She's de entire reason Ah decided to go ahead wit' this shindig. Ah have got to _talk_ to her."

Ororo handed the phone back across the table. "For you, Rogue."

Rogue set her fork down and frowned. "Me?"

"Mercy wants to talk to you." Ororo nodded. She stared at Rogue like she was just seeing her for the first time. Ororo knew as well as Mercy Remy's standards for having sex but she knew as well as Mercy that Remy had a lot higher standards for the women he dated. They still had to be beautiful. They had to speak French. They had to be able to know how to host a dinner party and talk motorcycle engines. He wanted a woman that he could hold a conversation with about art and books. He wanted someone intelligent, someone that captivated him, a charming Southern Belle that _sparkled_. He wanted a woman that wasn't afraid of his mutation. He wanted a woman he could fight with and climb trees (a tomboy) and stare at the stars.

Ororo had once told Tante Mattie that she didn't think he'd ever find someone to meet his high standards. Mattie had laughed and assured Ororo that once Remy found such a woman he'd never be able to look away. There was no way that Remy was going to miss her.

And Remy was dating Rogue. Oh sweet goddess, this spelled trouble. Remy was all about touch and Rogue, Rogue _couldn't._

Rogue took the phone. "Allo, Mercy." She said slowly.

"It's amazin' to finally talk to yah, Marie." Mercy had to take a breath. "Ah'm Remy's future sister in law. Remy is so stingy wit' his phone time, but, but Ah have to ask because Ah'm looking forward to getting' to know yah bettah. Will yah be my maid of honor?"

Rogue's eyes widened. "Yer maid of honor, but- yah don' even know me!" She shifted the phone to her other ear and reached up, grabbing Remy's necklace.

Jubilee and Kitty looked at each, eyes widening. Maid of Honor? Rogue wouldn't do it, would she?

Remy paused in his eating, a funny look crossed face. "Remy is Henri's best man, sha." He said at the same time Mercy said it on the other end, except without the term of endearment.

"But-" Rogue couldn't seem to get any more words out.

Mercy continued. "Please, Marie."

"Ah- Ah-" Rogue felt a little helpless.

"Ah wouldn't even t'ink of askin' anyone else wit' yah and Remy together."

"Yes." Rogue inhaled. "Ah'll do it." She shifted the phone to her other ear again and held it in place with her shoulder. She reached up with her other hand and entwined her fingers with Remy's. "Ah'd be honored. No one has ever asked me before."

Ororo blinked once at their pose and looked down at her plate. Yeah, Remy and Rogue were definitely a couple. Goddess, how had she not _seen_ it? Logan put the hand not holding a utensil under the table and fisted it so he didn't reach over and slap both of them. Dating, they were _dating_ and Rogue had promised she wasn't looking for a fling! Logan didn't want to think about what that meant but it was an inevitable thought and he bit his tongue to keep from exploding at her for thinking that the Cajun could be remotely serious. Because then she'd explode back at him and beat his ass for insulting her womanhood or something.

Bobby shoved his bowl away and reached for his coffee. Rogue had never sat that close to him, ever. His gut soured and he clenched the mug. A glance at the younger teachers told him that they were a mixture of shock and Kitty had her 'oh that is so sweet' look on her face. Only Emma looked angry. John just seemed amused.

Rogue didn't notice the others or didn't care.

Mercy laughed. "Bon. Oh thank yah so much Marie! Yah can't see me, but Ah'm doin' a little dance. Ah know de boys are rat'er rambunctious but between us two Sout'ern Belles and Ororo we'll keep dem in line. Mon Dieu, desole for chatterin' at yah like t'is but Ah'm so excited. Ah gotta sit down." Mercy paused and Rogue swore she could hear her falling into a chair. "Phew. T'is weddin' has to be perfect or Tante Mattie will raise cane." Mercy sighed. "So, yah are a teacher?"

"Ouias, Ah teach French for de upper classmen and engine mechanics." Rogue nodded. "Remy ain't said what yah do."

"He hasn't! Well, de entire famille is in security."

Rogue's brow furrowed. "Security?"

"Yeah, we test security systems. It can be pretty interestin'." Mercy said.

Rogue nodded distractedly as she felt Remy tense behind her. "Sounds it." Something wasn't adding up for her, but she couldn't figure out just quite what.

"When it ain't ninety-nine percent boredom and one percent panic. Have yah ever t'ought about doin' somet'in' ot'er t'an teachin'?"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah don' know. Ah like teachin' and Ah ain't so sure how the rest of the world would feel about it."

"Oh, because of the mutant t'in'." Mercy sounded like she was rolling her eyes. "Ah ain't ever gotten de big deal. Remy blows shit up all de time but it ain't like we can keep Emil out of de explosives anyways."

Rogue blinked. Security, explosives, boredom and panic, it all came together in her head and her eyes widened. Remy and his family were thieves.

She'd stolen Remy's necklace.

He'd been grouchy about it ever since.

A laugh escaped, then another and she sank down into her chair as she could no longer control it. "Desole. Desole." She said between whoops of laughter when she could get air. "Ah get it. Ah do." She felt tears falling from her eyes. Remy looked down at her, eyes widening. She smiled up at him and tugged on the necklace. "Ah'm sorry, Remy. If Ah had known Ah wouldn't have taken it." She said. Remy's eyes narrowed. She shook. "Okay, Ah would have but Ah'd have returned it in a more spectacular manner."

On the other end, Mercy finally figured out what Rogue was talking about and began to laugh as well.

Remy's eyes widened. "De way yah returned it was spectacular enough."

Laughter exploded from Rogue. "But, but to see yer face." She shook from head to toe and couldn't stop.

"Tante Mattie, ma cherie? Yah had to give it to Tante Mattie!" Remy widened his eyes. She had to give it to the sweet looking black woman with the temper that terrified angels, much less devils and mere mortals like the famille.

Mercy took a deep breath. "She slammed it down on the table next to him. Scared him out of his wits."

Rogue's face hurt from laughing so hard. Even Piotr paused in his eating. No one at the table had ever heard Rogue laugh like this, open and carefree. It made Piotr smile a little bit. Lorna was grinning and shaking her head, though Alex looked confused. Warren shifted in his chair and glanced at Bobby who hadn't looked up from his coffee since Rogue had grabbed Remy's hand. Bobby's face was frozen in a mask of fury. Warren wanted to feel bad for his friend. Then again, Bobby had brought this on himself.

Remy pouted and then grinned as something occurred to him. "Just yah wait until Christmas, and Tante Mattie tells yer fortune."

Rogue stopped laughing. "But-"

"Yah _paid_ for it." Remy reminded. "She's honor bound to tell it to yah." He smirked at her.

Rogue frowned. "Who said Ah'm goin' back to N'Awlin's for Christmas."

"Ah did." Mercy and Remy said at once.

Rogue blinked. "Bien. Goin' to N'Awlin's for Christmas." She muttered.

Mercy wasn't done. "Have yah any plans for de rest of dem cards?"

Rogue's eyes turned towards Remy. Remy had actually heard that one. "No. Do yah think Ah should?" She grinned at him.

Remy's eyes widened as he finally figured out that having Mercy and Marie talking to each other might be a bad idea. "Mercy, don' yah dare give her any ideas. She has enough on her own."

"Ah was just askin', don' get de knickers yah don' wear in a twist." Mercy said and sniffed. "See what Ah mean, Marie, no manners. Interferin' wit' a couple of ladies havin' a conversation."

Rogue looked up, lips twitching as she struggled not to laugh again. "Behave, sugar, the ladies are talkin'."

"Non. Yah two are schemin'." Remy shuddered. "And it's terrifyin'."

Mercy couldn't hear Remy, so it was easy to ignore him. "Yah really should. Yah had him all in bunches o'er dem cards. We ain't been so entertained in _years._"

"Ah've got all those ones Ah didn't use." Rogue said. "But he's still carryin' the other ones."

"He is!" Mercy started to laugh again. "Ah got to tell Henri. Oh, and de roses are still alive, but we didn't dare ship dem up. Yah'll have to get him more or conversely yah can get him to give yah some for once."

"He did give me one." Rogue dropped her eyelashes and sighed. "But we were travelin' and Ah couldn't keep it. Ah gave it to a little old lady, made her day."

Mercy giggled. "Well, he'll have to get yah more. Make him work for it."

"Oh, Ah can do that." Rogue grinned.

Remy stared at her and muttered under his breathe about terrifying femmes and Southern Belles and impossibilities and how them talking was a huge mistake on his part.

Jubilee, Kitty and Lorna all looked at each other, brows furrowed. Kitty bit her lip as both of them shrugged. They had no idea what Rogue was talking about either.

"Yah will come down for Christmas? We didn't really ask too well." Mercy fretted. "Desole."

"Ah'll come. Can't leave another Belle alone with a bunch of scoundrels."

Mercy laughed. "And Ah'll see yah in a mont' or so. Ah gotta set some time aside and we can go look at dresses. Could yah put Remy back on, Papa is here and he's lookin' impatient. Do yah mind if Ah call yah? We still have yer number from when Remy used de house phone."

"Yah sure can. Ah'm lookin' forward to meetin yah in person, sugar."

"Oh me too, cherie."

Rogue handed the phone back to Remy. "Yer papa wants to talk with yah."

Remy's brow furrowed and he took the phone back. "Oui, Papa."

Jean-Luc started talking in rapid French and Remy nodded, pulling out a card from out of nowhere, it was the Ace of Spades. He pulled a pen from his pocket and started writing on it, phone cradled between his shoulder and his ear, every once in a while saying "Oui Papa." Finally he nodded. "Au revoir, Papa. Remy will Papa." He rolled his eyes. "Remy knows, Papa. Merci beaucoup." He sighed and shut the phone. "Has Remy runnin' errands and full of _advice._" He groaned.

"Maybe he don' want yah to screw up, sugar." Rogue grinned up at him.

Remy narrowed his eyes. "If Remy screws up, ma cherie, _yah_ will be de one dat Remy will be worried about, not him."

Rogue blinked. "Oh. Oh, advice about me." She grinned. "Oh la la, Remy." She shook her head. "Ah didn't realize. All them women and not one-" She clucked her tongue. "Well, Ah guess that explains it."

Remy stared at her. "Cherie."

Rogue stood up and brushed his cheek with the back of her hand. "Ah'll go a little easier on yah." She picked up her plate and his for good measure and paused. "Maybe."

Remy rolled his eyes. Southern Belles. They were enough to drive a man insane. He reflexively reached up and checked to make sure his necklace was still there.

Rogue laughed at him.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me?_

_Next Time in Queen's High... Emma picks a fight with Rogue and Bobby gets his back up about Rogue being "his" girl, sick of Remy hanging onto her all the time._


	23. Chapter 23

**Queen's High  
****Chapter Twenty-Three: Alpha Males**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** After a trip to recruit a certain Cajun, and a get to know you trip back, at the mansion, Bobby is feeling the lesser man, Emma picks a fight and things start to heat up between the men.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. ACK only TWO CHAPTERS left... okay a chapter and an epilogue but... still, only one more week! EEP!

Tension thickened the air in the Danger Room as the X-Men went at it with each other. Logan had split them into two teams, placing Bobby in charge of the one that was defending a base from the one that Logan, himself, was in charge of and was attacking it.

Logan scented the air and growled in disgust. Outside emotions from the drama in the mansion were tainting the exercise. It wasn't Gambit. Gambit hadn't a care about the drama he and Rogue were causing and was far too professional to let it interfere with his performance, something these punk kids (outside of Rogue) needed to learn.

Gambit and Colossus came upon a thick wall of ice blocking their path. Iceman was on the other side of it. Colossus took a step forward, most likely to break it into bits. Gambit grinned at him. "Allow Gambit, mon ami." He said and pulled out a deck of cards.

Rogue, ahead of them and pressed against the stone portion of the wall, raised her eyebrows. Gambit grinned at her and turned them around. "Torpedoes." He grinned at her confused expression. He opened the deck and tapped them into his hand, cut them and took about a quarter of them out and slipped the rest back into the box. He narrowed his eyes and knew that they were glowing but he could do nothing about it. He charged the cards and felt the cards become in a heavier on a molecular level. They became his to control. He spread them out in the air and then thrust his hand forward. The cards flew towards the wall, detonating as they hit it.

The wall exploded.

Rogue grinned. She blew him a kiss as she ducked into the opening before Iceman could close it again.

Colossus blinked once. "That's very nice."

"Gambit likes usin' de full deck bettah." He smirked. "More boom for de buck." He slipped four cards into between his fingers. Colossus grinned. They headed towards the opening.

On the other side of the wall, Emma, the White Queen, stepped in front of Rogue. "I don't think so." She said.

Iceman began to build his wall again and had to dodge onto an ice slide as Remy threw more cards at him.

Rogue glanced at the White Queen. Emma wasn't supposed to be here. She was the psychic lookout for Iceman's team. She wasn't even supposed to engage anybody. Rogue shifted her weight. "Don' have to do this, Queenie."

Emma's eyes narrowed and she shifted into diamond form. She was _sick_ of seeing all the hot guys drool over Rogue. She was sick of everyone thinking that Rogue was so beautiful and hot and sweet when it was clear that Rogue wasn't. She was tired of hearing of how great Rogue was in the danger room and how she was Logan's _special_ student. She knew that she couldn't mess with Rogue's head with her psychic powers because the Professor would _know_ and would neuter her, but she could kick Rogue's ass and get some of her own _back._ "Afraid of me, Rogue?" She sneered. "You should be."

Rogue smiled, it was the psychotic smile. "Ah ain't forgot that it was yah who was cheatin' wit' mah ex-boyfriend, sweetness."

Pyro jumped down from the top of the wall and glanced at the fight starting between Emma and Rogue and saw the fight already happening between Bobby, Remy and Piotr. He snickered and jogged over towards the guys.

"Howdy, mates, can a bloke join in?" He asked of Gambit.

"We may have it mon ami, but de more de merrier." Gambit grinned at him.

Iceman scowled. "Three against one?"

Gambit's eyebrow rose as he finally heard Iceman talk and he recognized the voice. This was the guy that Rogue had been chewing out the day before. He tilted his head, which meant, this prick who had cheated on the most belle femme Remy had ever met, was Rogue's ex-boyfriend. Well, that explained a lot of things. He grinned.

"We're the bad guys?" Pyro shrugged. "By the way, have you checked on your lookout lately?"

Iceman glanced to the side. "Damn it." He hissed.

Gambit looked over and laughed as he saw Rogue going after another girl. "Oh t'is ought to be good." Then blinked as he recognized the foot moves she was using as not to bloody her hands on the girl's what looked like glass or maybe diamond form. "Not fair, Gambit just used t'ose moves on her t'is _mornin'."_

"You know, maybe we should knock out the Iceboy, here." Pyro glanced at him.

"Non. Gambit would rat'er watch ma cherie work." Remy pulled out his staff, extended it and leaned on it.

Bobby hissed. "She is _not_ yours."

Remy glanced over at him and snickered. He took a step to the side as the girl, oh right, Emma, flew past him and landed at Bobby's feet. Rogue strode after her, coat flaring behind her, eyes glittering.

"Get up yah bitch and fight." She hissed and glared down at Emma. "Yah were de one who wanted tah."

Emma got to her feet. "Learn to speak properly."

"Ah _am_ speakin' properly, it's yah who _ain't._" Rogue spun down low and knocked her down again. "Ah really don' give a damn 'bout yah one way or de other, Frost." Rogue picked her up and slammed her into the ground again. Emma gasped and reverted back to flesh, unable to hold her diamond form. "Yah t'ink yah are bettah than me. Well, ain't that cute as shit, all because yah can _touch._" Rogue sneered. She leaned down and put her face close to Emma's. "So, let me let yah in on a little secret, sweetness. Ah _can_ touch. Ah have _control._" Rogue took off her glove, using her knee to keep Emma down. She held her hand in front of Emma's face. Emma blanched. "And Ah don't want a little selfish man stealin' bitch like yah in mah head." She said and slugged her across the jaw. "Yah are out." She hissed and stood. "Get out of the Danger Room."

Across the room, Logan's head turned as he heard what Rogue had said. Rogue could _touch._ His brain started to churn remembering what had happened the night before.

Emma stood up, fingering her jaw. Rogue hadn't hit her as hard as she could have. She glared at Rogue. "You'll see, Rogue. He won't want a girl like you once he figures out that you aren't all you appear." She glared at her.

Gambit's eyebrow rose. "Yah shouldn't have gone easy on her, ma cherie."

Rogue cocked her hip and crossed her arms. "Ah guess not." She turned her gaze to Bobby. "Yah gonna run or are we just gonna consider yah cornered?"

"Are you okay, Emma?" Bobby ignored them and went over to Emma.

Emma shook him off. "I'm fine." She glared at him.

Rogue snickered. "Yah are so _smooth_ with the women, peaches."

Emma glared at her and smiled at Bobby. "Sorry. I'm fine."

Remy sighed. "Well t'is was sort of fun." He said and swung up his staff, resting it on Bobby's shoulder. "Yah are dead."

Bobby raised his hands in surrender. Up in the control room, Xavier saw the action and shook his head. He left the control room heading towards the Danger Room.

Pyro pouted. "Aww, I wanted to kill him this time."

Suddenly Logan's eyes narrowed as he put things together. Remy was a dead man. Remy had been _touching_ Rogue and probably _kissing_ Rogue. He growled and his claws popped out of his skin. From the air, Ororo saw him take a step forward towards the group and landed in front of him, putting a hand on his chest. He growled low again. "I'm gonna kill him 'Ro. He _touched_ her, has been _kissin'_ her."

Ororo wanted to roll her eyes. "Logan, then Remy gets to try and kill you."

Logan's nostril's flared. "I don't see your point."

"I'm his _sister _and you've been touching and kissing _me._" Ororo reached out and put a hand on his.

Logan thought that through. He squeezed his hands retracting his claws. "If he hurts her." He said and left the threat unfinished.

"She'll get the first punch, then you and then me." Ororo smiled at him. "Notice, that also works the other way around."

Logan nodded shortly.

"End Session." Xavier said and the simulated buildings began to fade away. Remy retracted his staff and put it away.

Xavier strode over towards them and his eyes narrowed. "I don't know what happened but you will sort this out." He said. He glanced at Rogue. "Rogue, you said you have control?"

Rogue smiled and it lit up her face. "Mostly, it's just an emotional hiccup."

Remy sighed and went over to wrap his arms around her. "Sure, ma cherie says dat now but when Remy said it, she almost slugged Remy."

Rogue's eyes narrowed. "Yah were bein' suicidal."

Remy looked upwards and made thinking faces. He tilted his head and then grinned resting his chin on her shoulder. "Yah are thrillin', bebe."

Rogue ducked her head and grinned, as if it was some private joke shared between them. She glanced up at the Professor who seemed confused. "So, Ah can touch if Ah ain't too nervous or scared." She shrugged a shoulder. "Emotional hiccup. Ah'm workin' on it. Remy's helpin'."

"Yah bet Remy is." Remy muttered.

Charles frowned. "And how can Remy help you when the rest of us can't?"

"Remy has a passive form of empathy." Remy straightened. "So dat Remy can feel what Rogue is feelin' and knows when it's safe and when it _ain't_ to touch her."

Charles nodded. "Well, congratulations Rogue."

"Thank yah, Professor." Rogue reached down and entwined her gloved hand with Remy's partially gloved one.

"X-Men, you are dismissed." Charles said and walked towards the door, leaning on his cane. He wanted to sigh. He hoped the drama would be over between his X-Men soon. Perhaps, there were now too many alpha males on the team.

* * *

Bobby slammed his locker door closed and turned as Remy came around the corner dressed in a t-shirt and tight jeans. Just great, Remy could help out Rogue with her powers when _no one_ else could and Bobby had been trying for years.

Remy stopped and raised his eyebrow. He could feel the hostility boiling out of the boy, as he was in no way Remy's rival for anything. "Problems, homme?"

The other men in the locker room went quiet and watched.

"You are the damn problem." Bobby glared at him. "I know of men like you, leave the girls around here _alone._"

"Oui, leavin' de femmes alone wit' Remy is generally considered a bad idea. Yah never know what might happen." Remy wiggled his eyebrows. "Dem femmes t'ey just get so touchy, feely and all _physical_." He scratched his chin. Marie was no exception to this truism, granted Marie had more reason than most women who didn't want to take their hands off of him and he _enjoyed_ Marie's hands more than other women's. "Fun times, mon ami."

"I'm not your friend."

Remy crossed his arms. "Yah seem pretty wound." He shook his head. He knew Bobby's problem. He just didn't care. "Remy can't help dat de femmes like Remy better. It's Remy charmin' ways." He shrugged. "T'ough Marie has-"

"Don't talk about her like that." Bobby took a step forward. "Don't you dare talk about Marie like she's one of your hanger ons."

"Marie has charmin' ways of her own." Remy finished with raised eyebrows. "Let Remy finish Remy's sentence, mon dieu. Marie is a Sout'ern Belle. She _sparkles._" Though Remy felt that Bobby didn't have a clue what that meant or any of the guys here including Logan.

"And she's mine. Rogue is my girl. We might be going through a rough patch right now."

Remy winced. "Remy wouldn't call it a rough patch." Remy would call it more she'd killed Bobby, buried him, then spat on his grave before _dancing_ on it in unholy glee. Southern Belles were not _nice_ when they got angry. In fact, they were petty, vindictive and downright _cruel._ And Rogue was _not_ Bobby's girl. She was Remy's girlfriend.

"But she's mine." Bobby slammed his fist on the locker.

"So, yah t'ink yah are a better man t'an Remy?" Remy's eyebrow rose. "Cause dat is de whole gist dat Remy is gettin' from t'is."

Bobby clenched his fists. "Do you play basketball?"

Remy's other eyebrow rose. "Oui."

"Fine, then we'll settle this now."

Remy tried not to be too amused. Bobby was taking this far too seriously. "One on one, or teams?" He glanced at the other guys, still watching.

John leaned against the locker. "I'll play, mate."

"Shirts versus skins t'en." Remy smirked. "Remy calls skins."

"The basketball court, five minutes." Bobby said and stomped out of the locker room.

Remy whistled and shook his head. "Dat is one homme settin' himself up for a big fall." He stretched. "Oh well. Who wants to play wit' Remy?"

John snickered. "Why do you think I volunteered?"

* * *

Rogue glanced over at Wanda as they walked down the hall together. "How did yer session go, Sugar?"

Wanda sighed. "The Professor postponed it. He said he needed to do some work in Cerebro. We'll meet in an hour." She met Rogue's green eyes with her bright blue ones. "If it keeps me out of the institution for an hour, that's fine with me." She ran her hand through her short brown hair.

John jogged up the hall behind them. "Wanda! Rogue! Bobby's challenged Remy to a game of basketball and maybe you should come watch since it's over you, Sheila." He glanced at Rogue as he caught up to them.

Rogue's eyebrows rose and she snickered. To Bobby, basketball was a matter of _pride._ "O'er me?"

"Well, Remy don't seem too frazzled about it, it's Bobby." John shrugged. He looked at Wanda. "So, will you come watch?"

"I don't think so." Wanda crossed her arms.

"Please." John was begging and he didn't care.

Rogue clapped a hand over her eyes. "Ah'm goin' on ahead. See yah two there." She lengthened her stride and disappeared ahead of them.

Wanda crossed her arms. "I'm not going to watch you, the scum of the earth, play basketball against that pig headed idiot."

"You hurt me with your words, Wanda."

Her eyes narrowed. "You sided with my _father._"

"I'm back here now." He responded. This was an old argument, one that they had all their lines memorized, except it used to be more profanity ridden.

She rolled her eyes. "Because you have no place else to go."

"Sure I do." John kicked the carpet. He had money he made outside of teaching at Xavier's. He had a contract with a publishing company. "I stay here for you." He looked up at her.

Wanda sighed. "I hate your guts, John."

"So, gotta start someplace." He smiled at her. "It's apples with me."

"Argh, I can't believe I'm doing this. Fine, if you will stop spitting slang at me, I'll come watch you play."

"Sure thing, love."

"And no endearments." She said and glared. He held out a hand. She looked at it as if it was going to bite her. "And _don't touch me._" She stomped off down the hall.

He grinned at her back. He was making progress. She didn't swear at him anymore.

* * *

Remy glanced at the crowd of women (and Logan) that were congregating on the bleachers. Ororo sat, legs stretched out next to Logan and Remy shook his head. They didn't do a very good job of hiding that they were together. Remy turned around and pulled his t-shirt off over his head. Rogue had yet to arrive, but he was sure she'd show up if anything just to laugh.

He turned and pretended not to notice as the girls sitting close together, including Emma, all stopped talking. He smirked and scrubbed his fingers through his hair.

"Holy shit." Jubilee murmured and it was quiet enough that everyone could hear it.

Remy winked at her and shifted his attention as he saw sunlight glinting off beautiful red hair. Rogue strutted past the bleachers and onto the court. She flicked her eyes at Bobby who was staring at her. She turned her attention back to her _boyfriend_, her sexy boyfriend with the amazing abs. She ran her eyes down his figure, blatantly checking him out, smirking the entire time. He returned the favor. She was dressed like Christmas again, sheers and second skin leather with more sheer and lacing. She stopped a few inches in front of him and their eyes met. They smiled at each other. Rogue leaned her head back. "So, a game?"

"Oui, Bobby's idea." Remy smirked.

Rogue flicked her eyes to Bobby again and her smile turned into a smirk. "Ah see." She raised and lowered her eyebrows quickly before turning her attention back to Remy. She put a gloved hand on his chest and Remy reached out and grabbed her hip, sliding his hand around to cup her butt. She went up on tiptoes and narrowed her eyes until they were nothing more than eyelash framed slits. "Kill him."

Remy grinned. Ouias, Southern Belles were _cruel._ "As ma cherie wishes." He murmured.

Rogue ran her hand down his chest and spun around, strutting back towards the bleachers. She pulled a bottle of nail polish out of her pocket and started beating it against her palm as she walked.

Logan scowled at her under his cowboy hat. "Was that really necessary, Stripes?"

Rogue sat beside him and leaned backwards, taking off her gloves. "What do you think, Mister Wolverine?" She looked at her nails and raised her eyebrows. She hadn't painted her nails in a long time. "Hello, Wanda." She said as the other girl joined them.

"Don't rub it in." Wanda muttered. Then blinked. "Holy shit, who is that?"

"_That_ is Remy Lebeau." Rogue smirked. "The new man."

Wanda looked at her. "You are shittin' me right?"

"Nope." Rogue shook her head.

Wanda laughed. "And people think I'm crazy."

Rogue grinned.

Remy turned his head and smirked at Bobby. "Yah still want to do t'is, homme?"

Bobby gritted his teeth. "Yes."

Remy shrugged and his muscles rippled. "Bien." He glanced about. He knew John was on his side but he didn't know about anyone else. "Remy has one, yah choose next."

"Kurt." Bobby wasn't stupid. He knew that he would need someone as agile as Remy on his side.

Remy looked at the rest standing there. "Angel." He said. Warren didn't wear a shirt most of the time and he didn't want the guy to feel like he was last chosen either. Warren nodded at Remy.

Bobby frowned. "Alex."

Alex grinned. "All right."

"Boo!" Lorna shouted. "We're on Rogue's side!"

Alex shrugged. "Sorry honey!"

Rogue laughed. "It's okay, Lorna. Ah know where yah'll stand."

Bobby scowled at her and Rogue barely even glanced at him from where she was filing her nails into squares.

Remy looked between the two left, the big Piotr and the well-muscled Native American that seemed a little angry for some reason. Remy wanted to sigh. He had no idea why the guy was angry but Piotr at least wasn't and Piotr also didn't seem to mind going shirtless. "Piotr."

"Forge is with me then." Bobby nodded. Forge's teeth flashed as he grinned.

Remy looked at his team and walked over to them while they were taking off their shirts. "Yah okay wit' t'is, mon amis?"

Piotr shrugged. "I don't understand what this is really about, but I'll play."

Remy and John snickered. Remy shook his head. "Dat homme is trying to win a fight dat is already o'er. Don't mean we can't have some fun, oui?"

Piotr shrugged again. "I guess."

Warren glanced at Bobby. "Well, he's good and so are the guys he chose."

Remy shook his head. "It ain't about bein' good. It's about bein' a team."

John smirked. "And we can do that."

"Remy will take Bobby, as it's personal." Remy cracked his neck. "And you hommes take de positions yah are best at." He said and they nodded. Remy turned and walked to the center of the court where Bobby was waiting with Hank. Remy smiled at Hank.

Hank shifted on his feet. "I thought since tensions were so high, that I would referee the game so no one breaks the rules."

"Bon." Remy shrugged and glanced at Bobby.

"Fine with me." Bobby nodded and shifted his weight back and forth on his feet.

Remy grinned. "T'en let's play."

* * *

r_eviews are love, love me? (Even though I am cruel... I still know it's only cupboard love.)_

_Next time in Queen's High... Bobby tries to settle what has already been settled in a game of basketball... he's not really a fast learner.  
_


	24. Chapter 24

**Queen's High  
****Chapter Twenty-Four: The Chosen, Better Man**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** After a trip to recruit a certain Cajun, and a get to know you trip back, at the mansion, Bobby feels a basketball game will solve his problems, while Remy and Rogue know the truth no matter what the outcome and soon everyone else will know too.  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. Friday, it's over. Ahhh, Noooo!

Hank held the ball out, looking between Remy and Bobby. Remy had a good four inches on the younger man and was broader at the shoulder. Hank threw the ball upwards and backed away.

They both jumped. Remy's hand touched it first and he tried to knock it towards John. Kurt was faster and managed to get a hand on it before John did.

And so play began, Remy backed off and went after Kurt, who passed to Alex who tried to take a shot but found Piotr grabbing the ball out of midair. Piotr passed the ball to John who took off down the court with it and was confronted by Bobby.

John crossed the ball over between his hands and grinned at Bobby. "You know what your problem is, mate?" He asked. Bobby scowled and tried to get the ball. John laughed and crossed it over again. "You're just too stiff." He said and passed the ball to Remy. Bobby glared at him and took off after Remy. John shook his head. "Gonna wear yourself out!"

Remy spun around ducking down as Forge tried to take the ball from him and he passed the ball to Warren who jumped up and dumped the ball into the basket.

Hank blew his whistle. "Point, Remy's team."

Warren grabbed the ball and tossed it to Bobby. Bobby glared at him and Warren shrugged. Bobby transferred his glare to the floor and dribbled the ball to the end line. He turned and when he looked up, Remy stood loosely in front of Kurt. Remy grinned at him.

Bobby scowled and tossed the ball to Forge without looking away from Remy. Forge started down the court only to be confronted by Warren and so he passed the ball to Alex who immediately passed it to Bobby and as Bobby was moving, he found Remy in front of him.

Remy smirked at him. "Bonjour."

Bobby glared. He didn't like Remy at all. "Keep moving, new guy."

"Non. Remy is de new _man._" Remy smirked. Bobby glared again, but Remy couldn't see any comprehension on his face. Remy snickered. It was like talking to a rock. Bobby passed the ball and then took off after it when Piotr reached out and easily snatched it out of the air and then passed it to Warren.

Remy jogged off down the court. He paused by John. "Is he always t'is zippy?" He asked and gestured towards Bobby.

"Zippy?" John raised an eyebrow.

"All o'er de place while chasin' de ball." Remy tried to explain.

John nodded as he figured out what Remy was trying to get at. "Yeah. He's gotta be in control all the time, be in charge, be the leader," John paused. "Get all the credit." John knew that Bobby didn't like things to be complicated. He liked his worldview simple, black and white, right and wrong, good and evil. It made being a 'hero' easier. There was less guilt on his conscience before Bobby went to sleep. The world wasn't as easy as all that. He didn't know how to convey that to Remy though. Bobby liked straight lines. The world was made of curves. "Be a _hero._"

Remy snorted and raised his hands as Piotr passed him the ball. "Bon." He spun on his foot and took off towards his own basket and instead of taking a forward linear route. He began to zigzag down the court, dodging, weaving and ducking under Bobby's attempts to get the ball back.

John laughed. Remy had seemingly gotten the message.

At the end of the court inside the three point line, Remy spun, grinned at Bobby, cross dribbled the ball, dodging from side to side and then in a blur of speed, passed it to Piotr who was standing at the line and completely free to make a shot. Piotr jumped and sent the ball up, it rebounded off the backboard into the basket.

"Point! Remy's team."

"Desole." Remy grinned. "Did yah want dat?"

Bobby glared at him.

"Go Petey!" Kitty shouted. Piotr blushed. Warren laughed and punched him in the arm.

Bobby leaned forward. "Going to say that I can't get what I want?"

"Non." Remy smirked. "Dat would be too obvious and yah just did de work for me."

Bobby shoved past him. "Because I will."

Remy wanted to laugh. Bobby was so tied up in knots over something that had already been decided. The game didn't mean anything. Rogue had made up her mind and she was no prize to be won like at trophy in a competition. She was an elegant woman meant to be wooed and chased (in the traditional manner and to be chased by leading) and occasionally worshipped.

He jogged after Bobby and came up beside him as Forge bounced the ball behind the end line. "Do yah really know what yah want?" He asked Bobby. Bobby started. He didn't answer the question as he grabbed the ball as Forge passed it to him. He took off down the court, his face a mixture of determination and fury. Remy didn't bother to chase him. "And just how many positions do yah know?" He shouted.

John stumbled in his run as he started to laugh. Piotr, Alex and Hank flushed. Forge and Warren just looked shocked that Remy had asked such a question. Bobby came to a halt, ball in his hands.

"_What_ did you just ask me?" He shouted back.

Remy grinned. "How many basketball positions do yah know?" He said it slowly and with all the innocence he could muster. John had to lean over and put his hands on his knees to be able to breath and stand at the same time. Remy blinked once. "What do yah t'ink Remy asked?" He asked. Bobby's face turned red in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Remy looked around and snickered. "Don' even have to try dat hard and yah'll do de work for Remy." He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "De fun Remy shall have." He glanced over at John. "Except wit' yah, mon ami. Yah seem to be sufficiently corrupted."

John wiped his eyes and nodded. "Thank you."

Bobby dropped the ball and turned on his toe starting back down the court. Remy glanced over at the bleachers.

Rogue saw him and smirked as she dragged the polish brush over her nails. "Yes, Remy, sugar, we know yah are hot shit, now kill him like Ah asked yah to." She snickered.

Jubilee's jaw dropped. "Hot shit?"

Rogue glanced up at him. "He is! We know it. He knows it. We _all_ know that he's hot shit. Ah mean, look at him, that smooth amazing skin, those chiseled muscles and his pretty, pretty eyes." Rogue lowered her eyelashes and ignored the fact that Logan and everyone else was looking at her like she'd gone crazy. "And let's not forget those extremely kissable lips, delicious. Mmmm." She looked back just as Remy glanced at them again and she blew him a kiss.

Kitty gaped. "What has gotten into you?"

Rogue smiled. "Life and Remy Lebeau." She rolled his name off her lips.

"You _absorbed_ him." Jubilee pointed at her.

Rogue straightened and glared at Jubilee. "Ah haven't. Remy is very careful." She leaned back down and went back to painting her nails. "He knows when and when not to touch me." She said. "And Ah haven't absorbed him and if we're lucky, Ah won't." She nodded.

"You're crazy." Lorna shook her head. "You aren't really going to New Orleans for Christmas."

Rogue shifted in her seat and examined her manicure. "Ah said Ah was gonna and Ah will. If Henri and Remy's cousins are anythin' like Remy, t'en Mercy needs all de help a fellow Belle can give. Plus, she's got all the dirt on Remy and Ah _know_ he ain't gonna tell me everythin'." Rogue smirked. She turned her head towards Wanda. "Mercy is Remy's future sister-in-law. Apparently her and his brother Henri have been engaged for a long time, so she's already considered family." Rogue said. Wanda nodded. Rogue continued. "And Mercy asked me to be her maid of honor in the weddin'."

Wanda stared ahead of her. "Oh good God."

Rogue sighed. "Now Ah have to come up wit' a hen's night in N'Awlins around Mardi Gras. Ain't that gonna be peachy. Ah don' even know who to invite, maybe the blonde wit' curls but she's one of Remy's exes Ah'm pretty sure so," Rogue bit her lip. "Ah'll have to talk to Mercy."

"You saw Bella Donna while you were down there?" Ororo said and shook her head. "Bella's Julien's sister."

Rogue blinked. "Oops." She shrugged.

"Julien?" Wanda asked.

"Some jerk whose arm Ah broke." Rogue finished her manicure. "Has anyone been payin' attention to who is winnin'?"

Emma spoke up. "Remy." She hissed.

Rogue smiled.

Logan growled. "Icicle isn't leadin'. He keeps trying to do the whole thing and it ain't workin'."

Rogue glanced at him. "Then why ain't yah yellin' at him about it."

Logan scowled. "I may not approve of Remy, kid. I don't _like_ what Bobby did to you. He needs his ass beat."

Wanda shook her head. "John keeps taunting him too."

"You hate John's guts." Rogue commented.

"Watching him taunt Bobby is amusing." Wanda pushed her cuticles back. "At the very least, he's entertaining."

Rogue looked at her. "Yah are in so much trouble. First yah hate him, then he's entertainin', then he annoys yah and the next thin' yah know yah'll be having dizzyin' love/hate sex and plannin' a weddin' because yah are the only two who get on each others nerves enough to make life interestin'."

Wanda's jaw dropped. "Rogue!"

"Just watch and see." Rogue said and turned her attention to the game.

"I won't." Wanda warned.

Rogue reached over and patted her knee. "It's okay to fall in love, Wanda."

Wanda crossed her arms and muttered something about she couldn't love that scum. Rogue grinned as Remy made a basket.

"That's game!" Hank shouted.

Logan turned his head to Rogue. "So, are you gonna go congratulate your boyfriend now?" He asked loud enough for the entire court to hear.

Silence fell over the court and Bobby's jaw dropped. "Boyfriend?" He shouted.

Rogue stood and smirked down at Logan. "And Ah might just thank him too." She said and knocked his hat forward. She stepped down the bleachers and strutted down the court hips swaying towards Remy. As she passed Bobby she turned her head, half smiled and shrugged.

Bobby stared after her.

Remy snickered and held the ball in one hand. It wasn't his fault that Bobby didn't listen. Remy had tried to tell him.

Ororo sighed. "Logan." She murmured. "You didn't have to say that."

Logan smiled at her smugly, not bothering to adjust his hat back. "Yes. Yes, I did."

Rogue weaved through the stunned males and reached Remy, she slid her hands along the waistband of his jeans. "Congrats, sugar." She purred.

He grinned down at her, and pushed her hair back. "A pleasure, ma cherie." He smiled at her and then looked past her to Ororo. "Who told yah?"

"Mercy." Ororo shouted back.

"Good t'in' we didn't make bets." Remy muttered. "Drat dat girl."

Rogue laughed. "Ah think she was excited."

Remy sighed and rolled his eyes. Rogue slid her fingers up and scraped her nails on his back. He lowered his head down towards hers. "Oui, ma cherie."

"Am Ah too nervous?"

"Just a little bit." He whispered.

Rogue sighed. "Ah'm tryin'."

Logan stood. "Okay, show's over, individual sessions for everyone but Rogue and Remy now."

Kitty crossed her arms. "Hey, why don't they have to do it too?"

Rogue smirked and looked over her shoulder. "If yah got up at ungodly hours of the mornin' and got yer ass beat on by Logan then yah could stay out here."

Kitty rolled her eyes and jumped down the bleachers. "Good game, Petey."

"Thanks Katya. I understand now." He said and shook his head.

"Understand what?" Kitty asked and wrapped her hands around one of Pete's big ones.

"The reason we were playing or at least that Bobby was playing."

Bobby stared at Remy and Rogue. Rogue leaned in towards Remy who was working his fingers through her hair while they looked at each other. He clenched his fists and turned away. He couldn't look anymore. He'd lost Rogue. He'd lost her before he even had a chance to try and get her back. He walked away from the court.

He'd lost.

He wasn't sure what hurt more, losing Marie, sweet beautiful Marie or just plain losing.

John caught up with him. "You know mate, that you don't really love her."

"Of course I love her." Bobby glared at John.

"Then why did you cheat on her?" John crossed his arms. "If you know the answer to that, then you know the answer to why you lost her." John knew it and he knew what Bobby would say next and it was a list of excuses that meant nothing. He dropped back. "Hey, Wanda, walk you to Xavier's office?"

"Drop dead, scumbag." Wanda hissed. "I hate you."

John blinked. "Exactly who are you trying to convince here, love?"

Wanda turned to him. "I said not to call me that!" She stomped past him. "Rogue's wrong." She said. "We will never get together."

"Never is a long time." John put his hands in his pockets and followed her.

"Just leave me alone."

"Oh come on, we're all young and stupid once."

"You're still young and stupid." Wanda pointed at out.

"So, we can be young and stupid together."

"I'm not that stupid!" Wanda glared at him.

John grinned at her. "But you admit you are young?"

Wanda shut her mouth and refused to say anything the rest of the way to Xavier's office while John followed her like a lovesick puppy. And she refused to admit even to herself that part of her found it sweet and cute.

* * *

Remy dropped his hand and put it on Rogue's waist. "So, cherie, do you play?"

Rogue bit her lip. "By mahself, playin' with others requires one skill that Ah don' do well, sugar. Contact."

He smiled and rubbed her spine. "Get. Back. On. De. Horse."

She grinned at him. "Then yah are on, Cajun."

He laughed and she knocked the ball out of his hand. She laughed at him as she went after it and they fought over it, running all over the court. She got in front of him making a grab for him.

"Personal foul!" He cried out.

She laughed, feeling as relaxed as she had the night before. "_Personal._ Sugar." She said and kissed him. The ball dropped from his hands, forgotten as she rubbed her hands along his chest. She pulled back a second. "That's _personal_." She murmured.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer. "So it is." He murmured back and claimed her mouth again, his hands delving under her shirt. Her hands wrapped around his neck and they kissed and kissed, not caring about the lengthening of the shadows or whoever might be watching.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I know it's pure cupboard love)_

_Next (and final) Time in Queen's High... we try to tie up as many loose ends as possible and it's the first day of the new arrivals and Remy and Rogue cannot be found unless you know where to look._


	25. Chapter 25

**Queen's High  
****Chapter Twenty-Five: The Queen is High AKA The Epilogue**  
_by PrettyGothGirl_

All Standard Disclaimers Apply  
**Spoilers:** _Post X-3: The Last Stand, non cure ending, **not Origins compatible**._  
**Summary:** The new students are arriving at Xavier's and a certain Cajun and his Mississippi Queen are nowhere to be found. What's an overprotective not father to do?  
**Author's Note:** A big Thank You to my beta reader, Lost and Never Found! For a full cast list with pictures, check out my fiction livejournal prettygoth_ink. To discover the song play list that inspired this story see also prettygoth_ink.

Logan growled as he entered the kitchen and couldn't find either Rogue or Remy seated at the breakfast table. Ororo dropped her paper and raised her eyebrow at him.

"Have you seen Gumbo or Stripes?" He asked.

Ororo sighed. "No."

"I sent him after her half an hour ago." Logan said and went for some coffee. "Now I can't find either of them." The kids were going to arrive in under an hour and both Rogue and Remy needed to be present.

The other diners looked at each other and shrugged.

Ororo smiled and got up. "They're on the roof." She paused and waited until Logan took a swallow of his coffee. "Making out."

Logan spit it back out. "Damn it, 'Ro."

She laughed at him and walked over to a window, opening it. She created a wind and shouted. "Remy, Rogue, be down here in ten minutes and be decent! Or else!" She added and created a small rumble of thunder above them. She shut the window.

Logan raised his eyebrow. "Ten minutes?"

"Jean-Luc would give Remy five and he'd still make it." Ororo said and sat back down. She picked up her paper. "I'm not Jean-Luc." She added.

Logan scowled and pulled out the chair next to her.

Hank looked up from his Popular Science magazine. "How was the Kabuki?" He asked and Ororo flushed.

Logan sank downwards as he remembered what had led to last night's formal date with Ororo.

Remy's errands had taken him into the city and just past noon, Kitty had answered the door to find a deliveryman with a huge bunch of nearly black roses and asking for Marie. The only reason why Kitty knew Rogue's name was because Kitty had been her roommate and when Rogue had come downstairs, Logan winced, he hadn't known Rogue could make those girly type noises. They'd attracted most of the females in the house due to her excessive gushing over the stupid things, the card and a ribbon tied, velvet-covered box. The noise had increased due to the females' love of flowers. Rogue had opened the box and instantly snapped it shut, eyes wide as saucers. Rogue had then, thankfully, taken the fourteen (she'd counted and laughed for some reason) flowers up to her room and he'd thought it'd been the end of the matter.

Five hours later, he'd been on a coffee run to the kitchen and Hank had been headed towards the library, when Rogue had come down the stairs dressed in a red silk gown that Logan had about told her to turn around and march right back up those stairs and change. Hank however had complimented her lovely and adult appearance. She'd even put a rose in her upswept hair. She blushed a little and told them that Remy was taking her to the New York City Ballet.

The last date Bobby had taken her on had wound up being some action flick at the local mall and Logan was almost sure they'd stopped at Wendy's or McDonald's on the way home. Logan had swallowed his protests. She'd then turned to him and asked if him if he knew if the local Kabuki Theatre troop was any good, Remy desired his recommendation.

Logan knew that Remy could care less about Japanese theatre. However, Rogue was excellent at manipulating him, which had led to him going and actually looking it up after Remy had arrived in a Guild car with a male uniformed driver (Bernard) and placed the expensive ruby and diamond heart necklace around Rogue's neck that apparently had come with the roses.

Thus, last night, he'd taken Ororo out on a publicly acknowledged date and had even consented enough to wear a suit. Ororo had looked stunning in a white silk gown. He hadn't given Ororo flowers or expensive jewelry, but Remy had managed to get him reservations at a decent restaurant before the show and they'd taken one of Charles' vintage cars.

"It was good." He mumbled and refused to look up from his coffee.

"We had a lovely time." Ororo smiled from behind her paper and laid a hand on Logan's leg.

"Remy don't give a shit about Kabuki." Logan muttered and took another sip of his coffee.

"He knows you do and you never know, he might take Rogue for the cultural value." Ororo patted his leg.

Logan had a few choice words to say about cultural value in conjunction with Remy Lebeau. He knew better than to voice them in Ororo's hearing.

Remy and Rogue entered the kitchen. Remy was still buttoning his shirt. He smiled and came around the table. "Bon matin, ma soeur." He said and kissed her cheek.

Ororo looked at her watch. "Precisely on time."

Rogue finished running her fingers through her hair, turning wild and tangled into sexily tousled. She rolled her eyes. "We would have been down."

Bobby picked up his bowl and left the room. He was having sessions with the Professor, but he still couldn't stomach seeing Remy and Rogue together. Remy and Rogue refused to act any differently due to the fact they weren't the ones in the wrong in this situation.

"In time to eat breakfast?" Ororo's eyebrow rose.

Rogue flushed and pressed her body against Remy's, kissing him as she took the first cup of coffee he poured out of his hands.

"Cherie!" He pouted. She smiled at him and walked to the table. He sighed and poured another. "Dat was mine." He muttered.

"We could share, sugar." She smiled at him, sat down and crossed her legs.

Remy looked up towards the ceiling and prayed in French before looking back at her. "Remy knows bettah t'an dat." He said.

Rogue smiled and tapped her dark red nails against the ceramic mug. She still wore gloves but now most of them didn't have fingers as she'd gone out and bought new ones that tended to show bits of skin. She'd decided not to give up gloves entirely as she liked the look. Plus, Remy liked them. He liked taking them off her.

Remy took Bobby's abandoned chair and smirked at Ororo. "So how was yer date, ma soeur?"

Logan scowled. "I knew you did that on purpose."

"It was lovely." Ororo said for Remy's sake.

Rogue smiled. "We're all happy for yah." She turned her head and looked at Remy. "There's that new Tom Cruise movie coming out soon, sugar."

He snickered. "What's de point of seein' dat? It's just anot'er movie of Tom Cruise playin' Tom Cruise in fill in de blank here."

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "That's what makes it fun. We can watch and laugh at Tom Cruise pretendin' to be actin'."

Remy took a sip of his coffee. "Remy don' really like goin' to the movie theatre unless it's to a drive in." He glanced at her. "Is it dat important to yah, ma cherie?"

Logan growled. "If you go to a drive-in, you won't be watchin' the movie, Gumbo."

Remy grinned at Rogue. Rogue bit her lip and answered Remy's question. "No. Not really. Ah can wait until the DVD."

"Oh dat's better, t'en we can snuggle up." He lowered his eyelids at her. "Like we would at a drive in."

Rogue giggled. "Yah don' watch a lot of movies, do yah Cajun?"

"Remy watches plenty of movies, he just don' actually see most of dem." He smirked. "Ot'er more important t'in's to do, bebe." He dropped his gaze down her figure. She was wearing the shirt from New Orleans again, the one that moved when she did. Rogue reached up and hooked a finger under the necklace he'd bought her, moving the pendant back and forth. He looked back up and met her eyes, not the least bit ashamed.

"Ah'm thinkin' this best be a private viewin'." Rogue muttered and took a sip of her coffee.

Remy reached over and grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it. "Bon."

* * *

Charles waited in front of the school with the teachers lined up next to him as they waited for the first of the new students to arrive. He gripped his cane and smiled as the first few cars began to pull up the drive with anxious parents and equally anxious students inside.

He made pleasant conversation with the first few families and introduced the students to their teachers. Another car pulled in with Massachusetts plates, parked and a couple that Charles recognized got out with their young daughter.

He let them approach, the mother holding tightly to the pale redhead's hand. In her other arm, the girl held a large candy pink bear as almost as large as she was. Charles didn't stop smiling though the parents seemed extremely nervous. "Ah, Mr. And Mrs. Kincaid, thank you for coming," he looked down at the girl. "And you must be Cessily. Welcome to my school for gifted youngsters. I'm Charles Xavier and I hear that you are _very_ gifted." He said.

Cessily smiled a little at him and shifted the bear in her arms. She didn't say anything though and the smile didn't quite reach her red eyes.

Charles wasn't worried about her quite yet. He had seen many young children like Cessily in his school and everything would be sorted out during her stay. He reached out his hand. Cessily looked at it for a minute and then looked at her mother. Her mother smiled at her, but her smile also didn't reach her eyes. "Go on, Cessily."

Cessily took Charles hand and he led her down the row of teachers. He stopped in front of Remy and looked down as the girl tensed, her hand squeezing down on his. He glanced at Remy who was half smiling. "This is your new teacher, Mr. Lebeau."

Remy knelt down. "Bonjour, Petite. Is yer bear takin' good care of yah?" He asked. Cessily broke out into a huge smile and nodded, hugging the bear a little closer. She let go of Charles' hand and held out her arm. Remy laughed and hugged her, squeezing her tight. He pulled back a little. "Dat's right, petite. Yah are safe here. Best go find yer room and get de best bed." He winked at her.

Cessily nodded, her grin huge. She shifted the bear into both arms and ran up the steps into the mansion. She paused at the door and gestured to her parents to hurry up.

Remy stood up and shook his head.

"I take it you've met." Charles said.

Remy looked over and saw Ororo's amused face. She'd been on the receiving end of Remy's complaints as well when he'd found out she had been the one who assigned him the children. Ororo insisted that he was better with children than teenagers and refused to change her mind on the matter. Children trusted him. Remy sighed and felt Rogue put her hands on his shoulder. Trust Ororo to be right about it. He turned her head and saw Rogue grinning at him. He rolled his eyes upwards. "All right, all right, Remy won't complain anymore."

Rogue laughed and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips.

It was an auspicious start to a new school year.

* * *

_reviews are love, love me? (And I know it's pure cupboard love.)_

_A/N the second: Wow! It's over. Thank you all for being such wonderful readers whether you reviewed or not, thanks for the C2 inclusions and the alerts. It means a lot to me. So, until the next story, I can be found easily through IM, email and PMs if you just want to chat or poke me on what writing I'm doing. I do not know when the next story will be done enough for me to feel comfortable posting it, but rest assured there will be more! Once again, thank you! You guys are awesome!_


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